Only in my Dreams
by Beagle-luv
Summary: Dreams can lead to some unnerving things, like love. Now something strange is occuring and she can't explain it, but she might just be falling for the enemy. Will he fall for her too? [Zutara] Rated for minor blood, just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Hello! I'm Jessie and I decided to make a quick one-shot about Katara. **

**Aang: Shouldn't you be working on your Kingdom Hearts story?**

**Zuko: Yeah really!**

**Me: Well…I guess….**

**Katara: After this you really should finish the next chapter in your other story.**

**Me: Awww man! I am running out of ideas for it!**

**Toph: You big baby!**

**Me: Shut up Toph.**

**Sokka: Give them the disclaimer so I can go to sleep.**

**Me: I don't own any of the Avatar characters. If I did I would share them with you guys but alas, I do not. I so steal them sometimes and hide them in my closet with Orli. Enjoy! Don't forget to review!**

Katara woke with a start, another dream about him. These dreams have been happening for about two weeks now on and off. It was always the same dream. The others were still asleep and the moon cast an eerie glow upon the ground. Sokka was snoring; it was a wonder anyone could sleep through that. She chuckled slightly noticing some drool dribbling down his cheek. Her smile quickly faded as she recalled her dream.

It was fuzzy but not hard to remember. The voice of the boy was distinguished and familiar. She placed her fingers on her temples trying to place the voice with a face or a name but nothing came to her. Sighing she dropped her hands and pondered the dream again.

_The refreshingly sweet summer evening was perfect for water bending. Katara stood at the edge of a small stream about two feet wide. It jutted out from under a large rock and slowed to a trickled amongst many rocks.__ Toph was teaching Aang more Earth bending moves so she had the chance to practice water bending alone. She stripped down to the white bikini top and skirt like outfit she wore while in the water and stepped into the icy cool stream. Appa's happy groans could be heard as he rolled in a small patch of grass while Momo was stuffing his face with as many berries as he could fit into his tiny mouth. Sokka was relaxing against a large slanted rock, one arm behind his head and the other across his eyes. _

_Katara swirled the water into tall columns and froze it, just playing around. The ice columns were beautiful but played no part in helping her become a better water bender. The man hidden in the shadows was not interested in the fact she was a water bender, more in the fact she was so beautiful. Many would be surprised and amazed at the sight of a water bender but this man had known her long enough to appreciate more than her water bending skills. Katara had her back turned to him, admiring her work. This was his chance. He crept up and grabbed her from behind, placing a hand over her mouth and the other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her backwards into the forest._

_"Do not be afraid. I wouldn't dream of harming you." He whispered into her ear and as he pulled his hand from her mouth brushed it across her face. Katara felt a shiver shoot up her spine from his touch. He lowered his other hand to her waist and spun her around so she was facing him. His face was hidden in the shadow but he was handsome non the less. She should have screamed but she didn't. For some odd reason, she felt safe with him, like they were connected on some unfathomable level. "Why do you stay with these..." he searched for the right word. "Children? You seem close to the Avatar. Tell me, do you love him?"_

_Katara was taken aback. She didn't love Aang that way. Did she? She thought of him more as a little brother, right? Of course she did! He was like a little brother to her, that's all. "Like my own flesh and blood." She replied sternly._

_The man sounded relieved. "Come with me." He whispered, grasping her hand and leading her along the path. Katara resisted at first but then let him lead her. She analyzed the stature of the man; he was younger than she thought at first. He was about Sokka's height and weight but a little more muscled and broader in the shoulders. Dark, short, messy hair crowned his head. He reminded her of Jet in a way she immediately crushed that thought. Jet was a horrible person and this guy seemed nice yet demanding and gruff._

_"Where are you taking me?" Katara questioned as he pulled her along a winding path. _

_"You'll see." He replied, glancing back and smiling. She felt as if she would melt on the spot. His smile was enough to make her heart pound, but why? She couldn't possibly love this stranger, could she? Slowly, the woods thinned out and they came right up to the edge of a cliff. She gasped and stepped back. Why had he brought her here? What was he going to do to her?_

_"Scared?" He asked concerned. Katara nodded and he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. "Don't be." His warm breath on her skin made her heart pound harder, she pulled away, afraid he'd feel it. _

_"Where was it you were taking me?" She asked blushing. He smiled and took her hand again, the familiar chill shot up her spine again when his hand touched hers. They sidled down the cliff wall on a narrow path; the boy never loosened his grip on her hand. They shuffled along the narrow path pushing back swaths of Spanish moss that hung in their way until the path suddenly widened. Of the side of the cliff wall was a huge drape of moss. The boy pushed it back to reveal a cave._

_The slimy cave didn't impress Katara. "You brought me here to see this nasty cave?" She asked repulsed. _

_The stranger chuckled. "You shouldn't judge things by their outside appearance. Take a closer look inside." He pulled her inside and as soon as the moss recovered the entrance, small blue crystals on the walls lighted the cave. He pulled her through the cave. Deeper and deeper they went until they came to a huge open chamber. It was freezing in the chamber and Katara was rubbing her arms to keep warm. The guy noticed and draped his jacket around her shoulders. Katara smiled at him and thanked him._

_"Look up." He said raising his face upwards. _

_Katara did as she was asked and gasped form the beautiful sight that met her eyes. Ice hung in long pointed columns from the ceiling like the teeth of some huge beast. The reflection of the blue crystals off the ice created an unearthly effect._

_"It's gorgeous!" She crooned. _

_"It is isn't it?" He confirmed, not looking at the ceiling._

_"Why did you bring me here?" She asked suspiciously turning back to him._

_"To see you smile and to see you happy." He answered smiling. Katara blushed. "And to do this." He leaned in to her, breathing shallow. Katara's heart raced and her head pounded, he was going to kiss her. She leaned forward to him, their faces a mere inch apart. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she draped her arms over his shoulders. Just as he was going to kiss her she woke up._

Katara sighed. Who was that boy? It was killing her inside that she couldn't recall his face. He was someone she knew, but was still mysterious to her. She saw his face in the dream but couldn't remember it now. Faces and their voices ran through her mind like a movie as she tried to match the face with the voice. She closed her eyes and though hard. The sentence, "I will capture the Avatar." Ran through her mind and her heart skipped a beat. That was the voice from her dream. There was no doubting it. Her eyes snapped open.

"Zuko…" She whispered.

**Me: And that's it! I hoped you enjoyed the crappy one-shot!**

**Zuko: I had no clue you felt that way Katara.**

**Katara: I –I don't…I don't think so…**

**Aang: Leave her alone Zuko!**

**Me: Oh boy….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Howdy Peeps! I decided to continue the story! Woo! I have the rest of the story planned out so I am finishing up the next chapter right now but I won't have it up until lots of reviews come in for this one.**

**Katara: Still haven't worked on your Kingdom Hearts story?**

**Me: I have I just…haven't typed up the next chapter!**

**Aang: Sure…whatever you say.**

**Me: I did! Seriously!**

**Sokka: (snore)**

**Zuko: (pokes him with a stick)**

**DISCLAMIER: Must I say it? (sigh) I don't own anything but my Crunch Stic and the idea.**

**ENJOY!**

"Katara." A soft voice whispered in her head. "Katara, wake up." Came the hesitant voice again. A gentle nudge to her side instantly woke her. On her back she was staring up into a pair of soft gray eyes. Katara smiled and stifled yawn, sitting up and stretching instead. Aang didn't smile back, his eyes grinned at her but he wouldn't let the smile cover his face.

"Good morning." Katara yawned, unable to stifle it any longer.

"Morning. Hurry up and get ready. We are going to get to Ba Sing Se today." Aang almost smiled, joy was present in his voice but his face remained hard and cold. There was no way he could disguise the joy in his eyes though. They seemed to be dancing with happiness and Katara caught a glimpse of the old Aang in his eyes before she lowered her head and began running her fingers through her hair, trying to comb it.

"Really?" She hit a knot in her hair. "What I wouldn't give for a comb." She grumbled.

"Well, when we get to Ba Sing Se, you can buy yourself a comb."

"A toothbrush would be nice too." She said running her tongue over her teeth as she started to braid her hair.

Again, Aang almost smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice too. We have to go through a canyon called Snake Pass."

"That doesn't sound very inviting." She replied as she finished off the last of her braid.

"It sounds worse than what it really is, just a few prickly snakes hanging around. No big deal."

Katara moaned. "I hate snakes!" She shivered. "It's so weird how they can move with out any legs."

Aang shrugged. "I'll protect you. Just stay away from them and you'll be fine."

She smiled again. "I guess but…" She shivered again. "Bleh, I hate snakes."

"We should probably wake the others." He suggested. Katara nodded and walked over to Sokka.

"WAKE UP SOKKA!" She yelled in his ear. He gave a slight twitch then resumed his snoring. She uncorked her water pouch and bent the water into a large ball then dropped it on Sokka's face.

He shot up sputtering. "What did you do that for?" He questioned, shaking the water from his hair.

Katara gave a sly grin. "If you'd just wake up when I yelled, I wouldn't have to do that."

"But still do you have to do that?" He emphasized 'that'.

"Would you rather me do it, Sleeping Beauty?" Toph shouted from about ten feet away. Sokka grumbled something inaudible and started to roll up his sleeping bag. Katara went and rolled her own then helped Toph roll hers.

"It's nice we got these from the sand benders." Toph commented.

"Yeah, it was pretty chilly last night. Probably because we are getting farther and farther from the desert."

"Yeah." Toph agreed. They finished rolling the bag and Katara helped Toph slip it onto her back. "Where's Aang?"

She shrugged. "Probably in the latrine." She suggested, jerking a thumb over her shoulder towards four large slabs of rock in the forest. The trees were sparsely placed but they provided much needed shade for humans and animals. Katara tipped her canteen to her mouth but no water came out. "Out of water again. There has got to be some water somewhere."

"There's probably a small pool of water somewhere ahead."

"How do you know that?" Katara asked amazed.

Toph placed a hand on the ground. " There's an underground spring about three feet wide, five feet under."

Katara sighed. "There's no way I can bend the water through that much rock and earth."

Aang arrived back. "Can't you earth bend the rock out of the way and make a hole to get the water?" He asked Toph.

She nodded. "Yes, but I thought I'd let you do it." She got in the horse stance. "Get into your horse stance." He did so. "Now, the idea is to bend the earth up in a column and move it out of the way, creating a hole." She demonstrated by bringing her elbows to her knees then pulling her arms together at her center. Wrists and elbows were touching but her hands were spread palm up with the fingers slightly bent inward. Then she brought her arms upward above her head then kicking out to move the large column of rock before her. "Got it?"

"Got it." Aang confirmed gruffly. He went through the same steps and produced a large column of rock and earth then sent it shooting forward into a clump of trees.

"Great job Aang!" Katara praised.

Aang turned and grinned at her then bent the water up into his canteen. He then went and sat under a bunch of trees and watched as Katara bent the water up into everybody's canteens. He almost laughed when she slopped water all over Sokka. Momo sidled up to him and chortled. He patted the lemur's head and then leaned back against his pack.

Excitement rushed over him when he though about getting Appa back. Then he frowned when he thought of when he lost himself to the Avatar state. He could have killed someone. He could have hurt Toph seriously; because she is blind and they were in the sand she couldn't see what was going on. He forgot she was blind sometimes. Because she could see with earth bending so well she almost didn't need eyes. He felt bad for being angry with her about Appa. An apology was in order. Still he could never forgive himself for losing himself to the Avatar state again. This was what, the third time? It was out of control. He was out of control and the only one who could calm him was Katara. He remembered the pleading look in her eyes the last time he went into the Avatar State.

He has to put it behind him. There is no way he can continue unless he puts it behind him. He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his head. Footsteps coming towards him caused him to raise his head. It was Toph. She sat down beside him without a word. Did she even know he was there?

"Nice job, Twinkle Toes." She joked a few moments later.

"Thanks." He mumbled. "Toph, I'm…sorry for…being so angry…and…." He fumbled with the words.

She held up a hand to silence him. "You don't have to say it."

He shook his head. "Yes I do. I'm sorry for acting like a jerk and getting so angry at you." He sighed. " I know you did the best you could to save him. Just, sometimes I forget that you're…you're…"

"Blind?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She sighed. "It's alright. At least you treat me like a human being and not a child." She smiled at him. "I forgive you for yelling at me. I know how it must feel."

He looked away. "No you don't."

"Aang, you have closed up to all of us. It's weird seeing you like this. Well, I can't really see you but you know what I mean. Appa will be fine, Aang. I know he will."

"You really think so?" Hope filled his voice and his eyes softened.

"Of course." She smiled again then stood. "C'mon, lets get going before Sokka and Katara kill each other." She pointed to the brother and sister yelling at each other and they both jogged over.

They managed to calm them both down and started the mile to Snake Pass. Anticipation was heavy on everybody's mind. They were all in high spirits knowing that Appa was only a few hours away. Aang now had new hope thanks to Toph. Now thinking back to his anger, he smiled at his idiocy. These people loved him and understood what he was going through. What was the point of closing up to them like he did? With a new outlook on the situation, he headed down the path.

Me: Well there was chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't…I don't care. I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Don't worry my Zuko fangirls! He will be in the next chapter. Promise!

**Zuko: (stops poking) I have fan girls?**

**Katara: What did she just say?**

**Zuko: (grin)**

**Me: (rolls eyes) REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Congratulations to myself for getting this chapter done so quickly! I am proud of myself! Woo!**

**Zuko: Where are my fan girls?**

**Zuko fan girls: AEEEIIII! Zuko!**

**Zuko: (grin)**

**Sokka: Do I have fan girls?**

**Me: Yeah but it's less than Zuko. **

**Sokka: I bet they are hotter. I am a ladies man after all.**

**Katara: Pfft. Ladies man, yeah right.**

**Aang: Yeah Sokka. That's such a lie.**

**Toph: (laughing hysterically) Ladies man!**

**Sokka: Let me see them.**

**Me: )opens door and lets one mousy, blonde haired bookworm in)**

**Sokka fan girl: Sokka! I wan tot have your children!**

**Sokka: O.O;; (twitch)**

**Sokka Fan girl: (grabs his leg and sits on his foot) Sokka!**

**Everybody else: (laughing so hard they can't breathe)**

**DISCALIMER: Do I really have to say it?**

"This is as far as I'm gonna take you fellas." The man panted. Zuko and Iroh climbed out of the pots and thanked the man for pulling them this far. He nodded and started back to the city. Iroh placed his hands on his lower back and leaned backwards until a loud cracking was heard.

"I'm too old for this." He complained to empty air. Zuko was examining the small bushes and ferns growing in the oasis.

"Uncle, there has to be water around here somewhere. I bet there is an underground spring." He stated as he searched through the bushes.

"Zuko, watch where you're-" Too late, Zuko had fallen face first into a pool of spring water.

"Water!" He pushed himself to his knees. "Do you think it's safe to drink Uncle?"

Iroh examined the water. "Yes."

Zuko grinned with joy at the newfound water and started to drink it thirstily. Iroh merely filled a small pot with water and then made a fire. "You know…" he started. "You wouldn't be as thirsty if you would have let me drink that cactus juice so I could see if it was the kind that was safe or the kind that made you hallucinate and act tipsy."

"Remember the last time you ate some strange plant?" Zuko reprimanded, lifting his head from the water. "I will never, as long as I live, let you try another strange plant." He vowed.

Iroh smiled, " And why is that?"

"One, you almost died. Two, we had to stay with that weird girl and her mother. And three, that rash was disgusting."

Iroh looked thoughtful. " I guess you're right."

"Of course I am!" Zuko said and he continued to drink the water.

Iroh shook his head and smiled. _That boy, he never gives up does he? He's been through so much and not been recognized for it. First and the most traumatic was being banished. All the things that have blown up in his face and still he presses on to catch the Avatar and return home. I'd hate to tell him that even if he did catch the Avatar, there was no way he could get it back to the Fire Lord and live. He would be captured and put in jail then the Fire Lord would take the glory for the capture of the Avatar. _Iroh watched Zuko fill his canteen then lean back against the bank, arms folded behind his head. The tea was ready now he poured it into two cups and gave on to Zuko then drank the other himself.

"Thanks Uncle." Zuko took a sip then looked at the drink. "You know," he raised and eyebrow at it. "I think I'm actually starting to like this stuff."

Iroh didn't say anything; he just smiled and looked pityingly at Zuko.

"What?" He asked catching Iroh's look.

"Nothing, nothing."

Zuko looked suspicious then turned his attention off to the left, the direction of Ba Sing Se. Well, that was the direction he thought it was. He leaned back and closed his eyes then opened them and squinted at the sky, staring at the vulture bees as they circled lazily in the air. He sat up and cupped some of the water in his hands and drank again.

"Zuko, why are you so restless?"

"I don't know." He replied as he wiped some water from his chin with a sleeve. He glanced past Iroh and saw two figures coming towards the oasis. "What are those?" He asked nobody in particular, he was just voicing his thoughts aloud.

"It looks like a man riding and emu horse and-"

"There's another one being pulled along with it." He finished for his uncle.

Quickly they both stood up, ready for a fight if it should turn out that way but lowered their guard when it turned out to be the man from before. He was riding a large ostrich-horse with another tethered to its saddle. It was the ostrich-horse that Zuko had stolen from Song and her family. Iroh walked forward and spoke to the man first.

"Is this ours?"

"Yeah, it took a heck of a time to catch it." He grinned.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. It has all your belongings in the saddle bags still so you should have everything you need."

"Why are you helping us like this?" Zuko demanded.

"Zuko!" Iroh reprimanded.

"No, it's alright. You see I am being paid a very large sum to help you." He winked and rubbed his fingers together for emphasis.

Zuko opened his mouth to challenge the man but Iroh spoke before him. "We appreciate your kindness. Thank you." The man nodded and kicked his feathery steed into a run and was gone.

Zuko grabbed the animal's reins and mounted it. Iroh climbed up behind him and Zuko kicked the animal in the Direction of Ba Sing Se.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The man was riding happily back to the city pondering the older man and his nephew. The younger boy was very hot headed indeed but the older man didn't seem like he tried to stop him. What was the boy's name? Oh yes, Zuko.

He smiled as he thought about the money he would get when he returned to the city. He hopped off his steed and led it through the city to the flower shop. He tethered the animal outside the shop and walked inside.

"I gave them their ostrich-horse and all their supplies. Now, where's my money?" he announced. I large man with dark hair stepped from the shadows chuckling.

"Now, which way did they go?" he smirked.

"You! I won't tell you anything!" The man defended.

The burly man grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Oh, but I think you will. Which way did he go?"

"I think…they were headed…for Ba Sing Se." The smaller man choked.

The large man chuckled again, "Trying to hide among a crowd. The Boulder will surely have to look hard."

Another man stepped from the shadows. "But we are after the blind girl, Toph. Remember?"

"Huh? Oh yeah her. That will be easy." He laughed and dropped the other man, letting him land in a heap on the floor clutching his throat. "Let's go. Ba Sing Se is a few miles and The Boulder wants to get there soon."

The man nodded and they left the flower shop.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Uncle quit moaning! We'll rest here." Zuko slowed the ostrich-horse.

"No not here. There is not enough cover. Keep going."

They moved ahead a few more paces. "Here?" Zuko asked.

"No." Iroh replied.

Zuko scowled. "What about here?"

"Hmmm." Iroh thought, rubbing his chin.

"Pick a spot already!" Zuko shouted waving his arms in the air.

"I think back there was better." Iroh pointed out.

"Argh!" Zuko jerked the reins of the beast so hard that it made a tiny squeaking noise from the pain and tried to jerk its head away. "Stupid animal!' he yelled at it. "Go that way!" He pulled harder on the reins until the ostrich-horse dumped them both on the spot. Then tossing its mighty head it started to eat some of the ferns in the tiny forest.

"I'm gonna kill that stupid thing!" Zuko shouted, shaking a fist and rubbing the back of his head.

"This spot is perfect!" Iroh said happily. He then started to build a tiny fire and set a pot on top, and then he poured some water in it and boiled it.

"You wanted to stop for tea?" Zuko asked amazed at his uncle's persistence at drinking tea three times a day.

"I have to drink tea three times a day to stay calm." Iroh replied calmly. "You could use it six times a day with your temper."

"I don't have a temper," he growled. Iroh merely smiled and started to make the tea. He handed Zuko a steaming cup of tea and Zuko just looked at it. "Can't you make some iced tea?"

Iroh sputtered, "What? You want me to make my tea cold? That's crazy!"

"But it's so warm out that drinking something hot makes me sweat." He mumbled.

"I know but I'm not going to make iced tea! The heat is getting to you. You're going insane." Zuko frowned and took a swig from his canteen.

A rustling in the bushes caught his attention as well as Iroh. A deep chuckle was heard as a large man stepped from the shadows. He pushes back a curtain of black hair, revealing a degrading smirk. A smaller man appeared at his side, distracted by a thorn stuck in his finger. The large man chuckled wickedly; he seemed unfazed by the thick brush and prickly bushes he was walking through.

"You!" Zuko shouted, readying himself for a fight.

The large man merely smirked and stood taller. A ball of fire whizzed by his head and he frowned. "You can come the easy way, or the hard way. It looks like it's the hard way for you."

**Me: Well there ya go. I bet you have guessed who the man with the dark hair is. He didn't say his name…. (Looks around with shifty eyes)**

**Sokka: (being attacked by crazed fan girl) Help!**

**Me: (pulls fan girl off him and shuts her outside)**

**Toph: aw! It was just getting really funny! Even though I can't really see it.**

**Aang: (comes back with popcorn) Darn! You made her leave!**

**Katara: yeah! It was getting to the good part!**

**Sokka: Thanks for helping guys.**

**Zuko: Hello my loyal fan girls! Don't forget to review this story for Jessie! She's my biggest fan girl. Review my fans! (Waves)**

**Me: Oh darn you caught me. I'm your biggest fan. (Rolls eyes)**

**Zuko: I knew it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Alrighty! Here's chapter four! This is my longest chapter yet and I am pretty darn proud of it! If you still want to know what becomes of Zuko and who the 'mysterious' man is, you'll have to wait until next chapter! Bwaa ha ha ha!**

**Zuko: (waving to fan girls) It is I Prince Zuko! Your adoring prince and…idol!**

**Katara: Prince Ego is more like it.**

**Aang & Toph: (snicker)**

**Sokka: How does he get all the fan girls and not me?**

**Me: It must be your ponytail.**

**Sokka: It's a Warrior's Wolf Tail! And there is no shame in it.**

**Katara: If you say so…ponytail.**

**Everybody else: (laughing)**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Avatar I would make Zuko and Katara already be together and so would Aang and Toph. But I don't…so alas, I must put up this disclaimer… (sigh)**

The canyon was huge in itself but that sheer canyon walls only seemed to add to the foreboding of no escape. Going around it wasn't an option. They would have to risk being captured by Fire Nation or being attacked by wild giant saber tooth-moose-lions. It wasn't worth the risk, besides, this was the quickest way to Ba Sing Se. In other words, it is the quickest way to Appa. Who knew they would miss that giant flying bison so much? They were half way through the canyon when Sokka asked of they could have just gone around. He had the dumbest suggestions. When Katara told him about the horrible deaths we would face he mumbled about it not being as hot.

Aang turned to look at his group. Katara was leafing through an Earth bending booklet, Sokka was laughing it up with Toph about some joke he had told. Aang felt anger rise in his stomach at the fact she was talking to Sokka and not himself. Anger? Or Jealousy? He dismissed the thought and continued on his way. His thoughts kept drifting back to Toph though. Frustrated, he shook his head and focused on what it would be like when they got Appa back.

He focused his mind on looking out for prickly snakes. He knew Katara could take care of them herself but her felt the strongest urge to protect her.

But is it her he wants to protect? Or is it the small blind girl tagging along with them?

Again he shook his head and kicked a smallrock on the ground with a bare foot. Bad idea, pain shot up his leg and his toe throbbed. He could hear Toph laughing as he hopped around on one foot. Her laugh…that's what he needed. Her laugh was different, hearty and comforting yet harsh and cruel. He liked it.

Suddenly he felt himself hopping around more just so she would laugh and pay attention to him. He had to stop eventually and he did when she stopped giggling. He had made himself look like an idiot for her, just for her attention. Now her attention and Katara's was focused on Sokka who was telling another cheesy joke.

"Okay now, so there's this ostrich-horse right? And he walks into a bar and the bar tender says, 'Why the long face?'" Then he doubled over laughing, clutching his gut. Katara and Toph exchanged glances then giggled at how Sokka thought it was so funny. Aang couldn't help but crack a smile at it too. Sokka finally got rid off all his bad jokes and walked in silence with the others. Toph rushed forward and walked in step with Aang.

"So, how much farther do we have to go?" She asked.

"About another half mile." He replied happily, feeling elated at the fact they were getting close to Ba Sing Se and because Toph was paying attention to him.

"Oh." Was all she said and remained quiet, just walking along with him peacefully. "Aang, there's two people over there." She pointed to left.

"Where?" He squinted in that direction but saw nothing.

"Right there! Under that ledge." She said as if it were plain as day.

"I don't-" Then he saw them, a large man with short cropped black hair holding a woman with long red hair by the arm. "Oh."

"I wonder if they need help?" Toph questioned.

"I don't know."

"Whatcha guys lookin' at?" Sokka asked good-naturedly.

"There's two people over there." Katara said. "Duh, can't you see them?"

Sokka squinted. 'Uh….oh yeah I see them!"

The man seemed to notice them too and waved his arms frantically. Katara jogged up to him. "We have been trapped here for a few hours. We are trying to escape the Fire Nation and get to Ba Sing Se." The man said hurriedly.

"Welcome to the club, we've got jackets." Sokka said from behind Katara.

"Well, why don't you travel with us? We are headed to Ba Sing Se also." Katara suggested. "But, how did you get lost?"

"We ran out of water and thought that the overhang over there was a cave but it wasn't. By the time we had figured that out we couldn't remember which way lead to Ba Sing Se." The man said.

Katara pulled out her canteen and unscrewed the lid, "Here." She bent the water to the man and his wife's mouth. They drank the water thirstily.

"Thank you." The man bowed. "We are eternally grateful that you would help us like this. My wife is heavy with child so it is hard for her to travel." He gestured towards his wife.

"But the rest has given me renewed strength, I think I can make it the rest of the way to Ba Sing Se." The red haired woman said, rubbing her stomach.

"It's another quarter mile." Said a happy Aang.

"No problem." The wife said, waving it off with a hand.

"Well, if you're traveling with us, you should probably learn all our names. I'm Katara, this is Aang, Sokka, and Toph." She said, pointing to each of them in turn. Momo crept up and ran up to Aang and sat on his shoulder.

"This is Momo." Aang told them. The lemur just chattered and moved to Aang's other shoulder.

"I am Muki and this is my wife Isha.." The man said. "And this is our unborn child Rayne."

The woman grunted. "She sure is going to be a feisty one. She kicks like crazy." Isha laughed.

Toph sidled up to her and ran a hand over Isha's stomach. "There really is a baby in there." Her eyes seemed to sparkle. "I can feel her kicking. It's weird."

Katara giggled. "We should probably get going. We've only got a little more to go." Everyone agreed and they set off, Aang leading the way again. Toph walked alongside Isha and asked questions about the child while Katara tried to help explain. Sokka was talking with Muki about fishing and hunting. They were exchanging ideas as to the best way to catch something for food. A prickly snake slithered across Aang's path and darted to the other side of the canyon. He looked back at the others; nobody had seemed to notice so he kept walking. The canyon walls loomed as ominously as ever until Aang saw an empty plain ahead of him and farther off, the gates of Ba Sing Se.

"We're here!" he shouted and took off running towards Ba Sing Se.

"Aang, wait up!" Katara yelled, running after him.

He sprinted for all that he was worth to the city gates and would have ran right through them had he not been stopped by the guards outside. They stepped in his path and held out large spears to his chest whilst levitating a large rock over Aang's head.

"State your name and purpose." One of the officials demanded.

"Aang!" Katara panted, doubling over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Aang…you really…shouldn't…run off…like that…"

"State your name and purpose." The official said again.

"We're here traveling with the Avatar." Katara said.

The men's eyes widened, "The Avatar?" they said exasperatedly.

Aang nodded proudly. "Yep, that's me. All my friends need through too." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Sokka, Toph, Isha and Muki who were catching up fast.

The men nodded furiously and stepped aside, "Of course, anything for the Avatar."

Aang and Katara stepped past them into the city. Hundreds of people were bustling about from food stands to small shops and some women were hanging out their washed clothing. Small children played in the streets, kicking rubber balls and running. Katara gasped at the huge city.

"This is humongous!" She exclaimed.

"Geez you guys! Could you have run any faster?" Sokka whined, panting.

"Of course we could have, you're just too slow." Katara shot back.

"Hey I'm not-"

"Thank you for bringing us to this city. We are very grateful for what you have done, now my wife can have her baby in a nice hospital and be around her family." Muki said.

"It was no problem." Katara said. Everybody exchanged hugs, which was awkward with Isha because of her large stomach. Toph beamed after feeling the baby kick inside Isha's stomach.

They watched them leave then started up the street. "First stop, toothbrushes and combs." Aang chirped. They stopped inside a small shop and bought the things then continued up the street again.

"Now to find Appa." Toph said.

They walked in silence for a while just taking in the new sights and smells until a large crash was heard. Sokka had not been watching where he was going and run straight into a cabbage cart. The tipped cart had spilt the vegetables all over the ground and they rolled to a stop.

"My cabbages!" The man shrieked, he glimpsed Aang and immediately stood in front of the wrecked cabbage cart. "I know you! Get away! Get away!"

"I just want to help you set up your cart again." Aang offered.

"NO! Just go away! Go or I'll have you arrested for malicious cabbage destruction, again!" He shouted.

"I'm sorry cabbage man, just let me help-" Sokka picked up some cabbages to hand him.

The man ran up and snatched the cabbage from his hands. "Just go." He said dramatically.

"Alright, drama queen." Sokka muttered.

"Let's go Sokka." Toph said grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him along.

"I hope all your cabbages rot!" Sokka yelled.

"They were already half rotten." Katara commented.

"How do you know?" Aang asked.

Toph pinched her nose. "CauseSokka smells like it, that's why."

"Aw man! I smell like cabbage!" He pouted. "Can we go check into a hotel? Because I want to get a shower." He sniffed his shirt. Everybody stepped away from him.

"First we find Appa." Aang said sternly.

**Me: That's all for now folks. **

**Katara: Tune in…eh…tomorrow or the next day for the next chapter!**

**Aang: Until then, REVIEW!**

**Sokka: (pouts)**

**Toph: Yeah review before Sokka goes emo and cuts himself.**

**Sokka: Shut up!**

**Zuko: My loyal fans…Please review…you know you want to.**

**Me: Oh brother…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Here's the next chapter. The one ya'll have been waiting for.**

**Zuko: All my loyal fans…**

**Me: Someone wanna deflate his big head?**

**Sokka: I'll do it. (Shuts the door) There ya go. (Sulks)**

**Katara: Good grief.**

**Aang: You said it.**

**Zuko: NOOOOOOO!**

**Toph: Shut up already! (cracks him upside the head with her fist)**

**Zuko: X.x**

**Me: Thank you.**

**Toph: No prob.**

**Me: Enjoy! I had fun writing this chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: If I have to say it, you guys are dumber than I thought…j/k**

"Come with you? I think not!" Zuko laughed, lowering himself into a fighting stance.

"Very well, " Said the tinier man, ignoring the thorn in his finger and also lowering himself into a fighting stance.

"The Boulder doesn't to crush you but if you don't come easily, The Boulder will crush you." He emphasized 'will'.

"He said no." Came Iroh's voice as he stepped beside his nephew. "There's nothing you can do to change his mind either. Trust me, I've tried."

"Fools!" He cackled, "You will be annihilated!"

He launched a large rock at Zuko, who dodged it easily and deftly produced a large fireball and sent it towards The Boulder. He brought up a large slab of rock to defend against the flames then lowered it and fired three rocks of different sizes at Zuko. He dodged them all easily by jumping and ducking but the last one he could not jump, and it was too low to duck. It caught him in the lower chest and sent him flying backwards onto the ground. He skidded to stop on his back and rolled to avoid the relentless attacks of his oppressor.

Breath seemed to be caught in his chest and it hurt to breathe. His ribs were definitely broken and adding to the pain of his throbbing, scraped back. He hid behind a tree, clutching his chest and trying to catch the breath that was so desperately needed, yet was so painful to get. He could hear the maniacal cackles of the man as he searched for him.

Iroh dodged the smaller man's attacks with ease, until the man made a fatal mistake. He held a large clump of earth and rock over his head, ready to throw it. Iroh was faster and let a fireball escape his fingertips, hitting the man and rendering him unconscious as the earth fell around him. Iroh smiled to himself at the simplicity of defeating the so-called 'master'. He glanced around for Zuko and didn't see him, worry enveloped his mind and he looked around frantically.

Zuko's vision was blurry from the tears of pain that filled his eyes. He squeezed them out then stepped out from behind the tree and crept up on the man, then fired unrelentingly, at him. The Boulder spun around and backhanded Zuko in the ribs causing him to yelp in pain as he lurched forward to his knees. The Boulder smiled evilly and held a large rock over Zuko, who spun around and knocked The Boulder's feet out from underneath him, landing him on his back. Zuko struggled to his feet and with one arm wrapped around his waist; he used the other to discharge a large ball of fire right into the man's stomach. The Boulder retched when he was hit then glared at Zuko with unimaginable ferociousness. A bead of sweat made it's way down Zuko's forehead, not from the heat but from the pain in his ribs. Iroh caught up to his side and they both stood there side-by-side facing the nearly defeated man.

Nervously, Zuko glanced at Iroh and in that second another large rock from the Boulder caught him in the chest and sent him flying backwards into a tree. Iroh knew better than to even look and could hear the loud thud that reverberated through the forest when his pugnacious nephew hit the tree. Zuko slid down to a heap at the bottom and moaned, then he touched the back of his head and dazedly looked at his blood-covered fingertips.

"I'll kill you." He choked and feebly raised his hand up. Small flames escaped his fingertips then his head fell down into his chest and blood ran down his forehead and onto his face. Iroh stole a quick glance backwards and as anger spread through his body, he calmly contained it and transferred it into lightning. The lightning hit The Boulder in the leg, causing him to scream in pain, clutching his scorched and bleeding leg. Iroh watched the man writhe in pain with a blank expression on his face. Then he remembered Zuko.

Horrified, he tried to wake his lifeless nephew but all his efforts were futile, Zuko was unresponsive. He cradled his nephew's head in his lap and sobbed over the unconscious body. Ripping his shirt, he wrapped it around Zuko's wounds to try and stem the bleeding. He heard footsteps and saw his ostrich-horse coming closer. Iroh managed to set Zuko on the animal and climb up himself. Ba Sing Se was a few miles away and he needed to get there as soon as possible. He kicked the ostrich-horse and with a glance back at The Boulder and his partner, he rode off.

The journey through Snake Pass was easier than he expected and they made it through in about twenty minutes, keeping the ostrich-horse running, full tilt while Iroh struggled to keep Zuko from falling off. Finally, he could see the gates of Ba Sing Se and with a sigh of relief; he let out all his worry. A smile flickered behind his stony face but died before it could surface. The men at the gates were bickering about the Avatar when Iroh rode up.

"State your business and-whoa." He said when he finally looked at Iroh. Iroh decided he must look quite terrifying, riding a blood-smeared ostrich-horse, with an unconscious, bleeding teenager. Iroh was sure he had blood all over himself too but wasn't concerned about it.

"Let me through before he dies." Iroh said, surprised at the shakiness in his voice. The men gaped then opened the gates and let them through. The people on the streets stopped and gasped when they saw Iroh riding through, they moved out of the way quickly and watched him as he trotted the animal through the crowd of people on the street. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an inn and headed for it. The name was The Rolling Rock. He tethered the ostrich-horse outside and walked inside, carrying Zuko, bridal style.

The woman at the counter jumped up, horrified at the bloody sight before her and rushed Iroh up to a room on the second floor. Room 106. She opened the door and pulled the sheets back on the bed so Iroh could lay Zuko down. Then Iroh fished two gold pieces out of his pocket.

"This is all I have." He handed her the money. She shook her head and pushed it away.

"No, you keep it. I'll let you stay for free until your…son?"

"Nephew." He corrected.

"Your nephew gets better. That's a nasty cut. How'd it happen?" She questioned, peering at the bloody piece of cloth.

"It's a long story." Iroh replied.

"I'll get you some hot water to clean that gash." She offered.

"That would be nice." Iroh said absently, he looked over the still body of his nephew.

The lady quietly slipped out then was back with a towel draped over one arm and a large bowl of steaming water in a couple of minutes. She set the towel down by the bed and unwrapped the makeshift bandage from Zuko's head and started to clean the wound. Iroh watched then grabbed a pair of scissors and cut Zuko's shirt off him, revealing a bare, horribly bruised chest.

"Poor child!' The lady exclaimed. "You finish cleaning the wound and I'll get some fresh bandages." Iroh nodded and started to gently clean the dried blood away from the deep, four-inch gash on his head. His hair was matted with dried blood and Iroh did his best to get it all off. He dropped the towel back into the bowl of now red water and let silent tears slip down his face.

The lady came back in with three large rolls of bandages. With the first roll, she wrapped Zuko's head. Then with the second she wrapped his chest, and almost his entire waist. Iroh watched quietly, while the tears didn't stop flowing.

"He needs to go to a hospital." She told him.

Iroh shook his head. "I can't do that." He wept.

"Why not?" She asked exasperatedly.

"If you promise not to turn me in."

"What? Of course not!"

"We are both wanted by the Fire Nation. If I took him to the hospital, someone would surely see us and turn us in."

The woman frowned. "I see, well, the best we can do is keep his wound clean and change his bandages regularly." She set the third roll of bandages on the nightstand beside the bed and walked to the door. "Oh, and I assumed that was your ostrich-horse outside so I had one of the younger boys take him to the stable to be cleaned and fed."

"But I can't pay for it." Iroh protested.

The woman held up a hand to silence him. "Don't worry about it. You are going through hard times."

"You are too kind, but I can't accept this." Iroh said.

"Can you cook well?"

"What? Yes." He confirmed.

"If you work in the kitchens and cook for my guests, I'll let you stay. Does that make you feel better?"

Iroh beamed and walked over to the lady. "Thank you." He kissed her hand. "You are so very kind miss…"

"Call me Genia." She blushed.

"I am Uncle Iroh. Just call me Iroh, Genia."

"Okay, Iroh. I will be up in two hours to fetch you to cook. So you may want to get a shower and wash the blood off your face. I'll send some of the boys up with fresh clothes. You have your own shower in this room so take as long as you wish." She picked up the bowl and towel and headed out the door. Iroh sat on his bed and nervously looked at Zuko. He pulled a blanket up over him and then headed to the shower. A knock on the door of the room announced the arrival of the boys with his belongings. He dressed quickly and opened the door. A small tawny haired boy with bright green eyes was holding both saddlebags under his arms. Iroh took the bags and thanked the kid then watched him scamper down the hall and out of sight. He shut the door and started rifling through his things.

**Me: Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it. You should be proud of me. I wrote that with a huge bruise on my arm from paintball.**

**Sokka: What's paintball?**

**Me: (pulls out paintball gun) This. (shoots him in the arm) Hurts don't it?**

**Sokka: OUCH! I always knew you were insane!**

**Katara, Aang & Toph: O.o (eye twitch)**

**Me: (maniacal laugh) I'm not insane! I'm just sane in an insane world.**

**Aang: Uh-huh….riiiight..**

**Me: You want some of this too?**

**Aang: GAH! No (hides behind Katara)**

**Me: Review my friends! I'll love you forever! And I'll reply too! Cause I'm nice like that.**

**Zuko: My fans……(still half unconscious)**

**Me: (shoots him) Shut up already!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Next Chapter! Woo! I updated pretty quickly if I do say so myself. I would like to thank all my reviewers who give me so much inspiration! You know who ya are! Love ya!**

**Aang: you'll never guess what is going to happen in the next chapter!**

**Sokka: Yeah it' so…cool!**

**Zuko: Yep it' spretty good. **

**Me: I even updated on my Kingdom Hearts story!**

**Katara: Good job. Now if you would only finish it.**

**Me: Get off my back about it already!**

Katara: Sorry… 

**DISCLAIMER: I swear, if I have to say it. I'll rip my hair out and stuff down which ever one of you smart alecks out there decides I need to tell you. Seriously you should be afraid. I have like super thick curly hair. FEAR IT!**

They pushed their way through the crowd towards a large, ornate building. The building stood tall in the dingy city. At the top of the structure was the Earth Kingdom Symbol delicately carved from marble.

"That's the biggest building here. If Appa is in the city, he's inside that structure." Sokka observed.

The group marched up the stone steps towards the large, jewel-encrusted doors that lead to the inside. Two guards stopped them quickly.

"The King doesn't wish for anybody to enter today." The larger guard said, without looking at the kids.

"He has my flying bison!" Aang said then tried to push his way through.

The guards shoved him backwards, "He isn't seeing anybody." The large guard repeated.

"Aang, you don't know for sure that Appa is even in there." Katara reasoned.

"Oh he has a giant flying bison, yes." The smaller guard with a heavy walrus mustache confirmed.

"Never mind then." Katara mumbled.

"He's mine!"

"How do we know he's really yours little arrow man?" The guard with the mustache asked.

"Because Aang is the Avatar and those are the tattoos of an air bender." Toph said, picking at her fingernails nonchalantly.

"Hmmm." The guards thought then huddled together and discussed what to do.

"The Avatar. Don't you think the King would be pleased?" The guard with the mustache asked his partner.

"Well, he would be pleased but that would mean breaking direct orders. He did say, nobody."

"But the Avatar?" He whispered.

"I know, I know but we can't let him through. Direct orders you know." The large man shrugged.

"But-"

"No."

"Not even-"

"No."

"He's-"

"NO!" He hissed and they turned around to face the kids again. "I'm sorry, but we would really like to help you but His Majesty specifically said not to let anybody in. Not even family."

"But I'm the Avatar!" Aang said exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry." The guard said. "I must ask you to leave now."

The others started to leave but Aang's brow furrowed and he stood his ground. The anger was building up inside him and it was about to escape in the Avatar State.

Katara saw the warning signs of the transition and grabbed his arm just as his tattoos started to glow. "Aang, no! We'll come back tomorrow when the King is seeing people. Calm down Aang!" She shouted.

Sokka pulled Toph to a safe distance and they hid behind some vegetable carts as the wind picked up and started to swirl around Aang. "NO! Aang! Calm Down!" Katara screamed.

Aang's arm swung around and he backhanded her to get her off him. A loud slap was heard and Katara stumbled backwards clutching her pinking cheek. Aang's attention then reverted to the guards and he slowly rose up in the air until Katara's sobs snapped him out of the Avatar State. He slowly touched down on the ground and collapsed. Then he staggered over to Katara.

"Katara, I-I'm…I didn't…I…" He stuttered.

"No! Aang you are getting out of control!" Sokka yelled, jerking Katara away from him and letting her cry into his shoulder while rubbing her back.

"Yeah, Aang. This is the second time in less than a week you have went into the Avatar State." Toph told him.

Aang was confused and upset. "If you would have saved Appa, none of this would have happened!" He accused Toph.

"Oh no! Don't you blame this on me! If I would have saved Appa, you guys would have all died!" She screamed at him. "So it wouldn't have mattered anyway!"

"Aang, I don't know if you have forgot but Toph is blind! She couldn't feel those vibrations in the sand. You know that." Sokka growled.

"How would you have known? You were hallucinating off that cactus juice!" Aang challenged.

"I was sober enough to understand that you went into the Avatar State and almost killed all of us!"

"I couldn't see what was happening when you went into the Avatar State but it still scared me. Mostly because I couldn't see." Toph mumbled.

True, Toph was blind but Aang sometimes forgot because she was so adapt at seeing with vibrations. "I-I'm sorry." Aang told them.

"No Aang. This time, sorry doesn't cut it." Katara said shakily, her face red from getting hit. "You need to learn to control yourself or…or…" she started to cry again.

"Or what?" Aang pleaded, he knew what she was going to say but dreaded it still.

"Or you can travel on your own." Sokka finished for her. "You are becoming a danger to us all."

Aang was suddenly stricken with guilt and heartbreak. He looked from face to face and saw the same stony exterior he had been showing to them for so long. He lowered his head and nodded as they all turned and headed to a small dingy inn called The Rolling Rock. Aang fell to his knees in the middle of the street, his only companion now was Momo who sat beside him and chattered. He let out a wail and started to cry. "What's wrong with me?" he sobbed. Passerby on the street looked at him speculatively them continued on to where ever they were headed.

Aang's heart was broken and he was afraid. Afraid that his friends would leave him, afraid he would never get Appa back, afraid he would hurt one of them. He felt himself being pulled downward into an abyss of nothingness and only one person could pull him out. All his thoughts were revolving around the one girl he loved.

_Katara._

He had hurt her. _He_ had hurt her. Of all people, he did it. Not Zuko or Jet or some passerby on the street. He did it. He had hit her and it wasn't the fact that he had hit her, it was the fact he had done while in the Avatar State. He had done it with pure spite and hate in his body. His hands began to tremble and he felt sick to his stomach.

_Katara._

All he could think of was her now but for some reason, Toph's face kept drifting into his mind. Wiping the tears away he shook the thought off and started towards the inn where the others had gone. He pushed open the wood door of the inn and stepped up to the desk. A strong woman with green eyes and graying hair was knitting and humming on the other side of the desk. Aang cleared his throat to get the woman's attention.

"Oh hello." She said cheerfully. "What can I do ya for?"

"My friends checked into this inn. I don't know if they saved me a room or what…" his voice trailed off.

"Oh. I your name Aang?" She asked while setting her knitting down and rifling through some papers.

"Yeah." He mumbled.

"Here's your key. Room l10." She handed the key to him then picked up her knitting again. "The stairs are to your left. Enjoy your stay." And she went back to her humming and knitting.

Aang dully walked up the stairs and stuck the key into the lock and turned it. Then he walked in to see Sokka sitting on one of the beds polishing his boomerang. Momo jumped off Aang's shoulder and crawled up to Sokka, watching him polish the weapon.

"We decided that the girls would share a room and we would share a room." Sokka said without looking up.

"Oh." Aang set his pack on the other bed and looked around the room. It was painted a bright green with ivy stretching along the ceiling. There were two twin beds, one by the window, which was Sokka's, and the other closer to the door, Aang's. There was a small dresser in the corner, which currently held Sokka's pack. Then there was a small nightstand beside Aang's bed. A tiny closet was on the opposite wall of Aang, it was closed so Aang assumed Sokka had already put the rest of his pack in there.

"Katara and Toph are in the next room over." Sokka said gruffly.

"Oh. Is she okay?"

"Yes. But I don't think she wants you near her for a while." He paused for a while. "You know, you really hurt her. Not physically but emotionally. I imagine she's still crying."

"Oh." Was all he could say. Leave it to Sokka to make him feel worse.

"Why?" Sokka asked, still not looking at him.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you do it? Hit her I mean."

Aang looked at his feet. Why did he do it? He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at the guards for not letting them in, right? "I don't know…" He mumbled.

Sokka shrugged. "Well, you had better think of something to tell her."

"I know. I think I was just so upset…and I wanted to get Appa back so badly…that…I was kind of crazy about it. I wanted Appa back for us."

"For us? Or You? Make sure you ask yourself that." Sokka told him, looking at him for the first time in about an hour.

"I guess it was kind of for myself. It's just that he was the last thing I have to remind me of what used to be." Momo chattered and waved his arms. "And Momo too. I just didn't think. I just acted." He put his head in his hands. "I'm such and idiot. Look at what I have done."

"I'm glad you understand that now." Sokka went back to polishing. "I think you girls can come out now. He has learned his lesson."

Aang was confused then the closet door slowly opened and there stood Toph and Katara both with smug looks of satisfaction on their faces. "What? This was a setup?"

"Aang, we wanted you to see that there was more to life than just getting Appa back. Although I still am upset that you hit me." Katara told him.

"I'm sorry." He said with forcefulness, pouring all his emotions into it. "I was just so wrapped up in getting Appa and getting what mattered at the time that I forgot what mattered to me most. My family."

Katara and Toph smiled at him. He grinned back. Katara glanced out the window at the sun set. "Well, I think I'm going to get a nice shower then go to bed." She said. "You gonna get one too?" She asked Toph.

"Yeah. That sounds really nice right now. Oh and Aang, we are in the room beside you. Room 108." She told him.

"Alright."

Katara and Toph walked out and into their room. Katara rummaged through their closet and found some clean white towels and some soap The after grabbing herself some clean clothes she asked, "You coming? The showers are down the hall a way." Toph nodded and followed her after gathering some of her own clean clothes.

The showers were very clean well kempt. Katara handed Toph two of the towels and took two for her then they both got into showers that were next to each other. They turned on the hot water and let their emotions wash away and down the drain along with a lot of dirt. Toph finished first and dressed then after telling Katara she was done, left and went back tot the room. Katara finished soon after and followed Toph's lead and went back to the room. She didn't bother to re-braid her hair because it was wet so she just towel dried it and left it down.

Their room was set up just like Sokka's and Aang's but the walls were a pale blue and instead of ivy painted on the ceiling there were moons and stars. Toph was lying in the bed by the window with her arms folded behind her head. Katara sat on her own bed and started to try and dry her hair more. Then playfully, she threw the wet towel onto Toph.

"What was that for?" Toph asked gruffly as she sat up.

"I don't know. I just felt like doing it." She shrugged and grinned.

Toph threw the towel back then laid back down. Katara grabbed her pillow and threw it onto Toph's face. "What are you doing?"

"What? You never had a pillow fight?"

Toph looked confused. "Pillow fight?"

"Yeah, my mother and I used to do it all the time until…never mind. Have you ever done it?"

"No."

"All you do is hit each other with pillows until the other gets to tired or the pillow breaks."

"That's dumb." Toph lay back down and rolled over to face the darkening night.

Katara threw another pillow at her.

"Will you stop it? I don't want to play!" She yelled.

"Alright, alright." Katara yawned. "I'm tired anyway." She gathered up her pillows and turned off the lamp, sending them into instant darkness. She snuggled down into the covers and stared at the ceiling. The pain ton the ceiling glowed and the faint images of stars and moons were present. She stared at them until something attacked her face. She stifled a scream and threw the thing off her then flipped on the light and jumped off the bed. Toph burst out laughing.

Katara looked at her bad and saw one of Toph's pillows laying amongst her own. She threw her a dirty look.

"I couldn't resist." She laughed.

"Oh you asked for it." Katara launched a pillow at her and the war began. They threw pillow at each other for another hour or so until they both were too tired to move. "Truce?" Katara panted.

"Yep." Toph agreed and picked up her pillows and set them on her bed. Katara did the same then they both got into their beds and were asleep seconds after the light was turned off.

**Me: That was a long chapter. I think my longest so far. It was kind of boring though and I think the characters were a little OCC. I ran out of ideas for that chapter so I had to think up something really quick for the end.**

**Sokka: She's just lazy.**

**Me: And you're not?**

**Sokka: Hey, I could write a story no problem.**

**Katara: Uh-huh. You couldn't even write your name for the longest time. **

**Sokka: Let's just contradict everything I say.**

**Katara: He doesn't know what he's talking about.**

**Me: Anyway, the next chapter will be good. Trust me. You won't expect it at all.**

**Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Another long chapter. I'm quite proud of myself! I want to try and get this story finished before the airing of the new Avatar episode. I am going to try and have a new chapter up every three days. There is over 15 but under twenty chapters. It pretty much gets really, really good after this point. I am so excited about it!**

**Sokka: (Scribbling on a piece of paper)**

**Katara: What are you doing?**

**Sokka: (scribbles) Darn it! (crumbles up paper and throws it) I'm gonna prove that I can write a story!**

**Everybody: (laughing hysterically)**

**Toph: (wipes tear from eye) That'll be the day!**

**Sokka: You don't think I can do it?**

**Zuko: Well no! That's a good one! You, writing a story? HA!**

**Sokka: I can do it! You guys just wait!**

**DISCLAIMER: I am getting tired of putting up this disclaimer. The only thing I own is the plot of the story and this piece of chocolate cake I'm eating. (sigh) I am going to try and buy Avatar! I have $85 and like twenty cents….anyway….read the story….**

The kitchen was huge. Iroh happily looked around and smiled at Genia. She showed him where all the cooking utensils were kept and showed him where all the food and ingredients were. Dinner would be starting soon and he needed to get a move on if the customers were to be pleased. She handed him a recipe and asked him to make enough for forty-five people. Iroh accepted the challenge and gratefully started.

He finished the meal with minutes to spare and tasted some himself. Satisfied, he relaxed and made himself of cup of tea. Then the thought of his injured nephew ran through his mind and he asked Genia to go see him. Surprised at his ability to cook, she agreed and Iroh was up the stairs in a flash. Zuko was still out cold and Iroh rewrapped his bandages and watched over him for a few minutes until the voice of Genia called him back down. Iroh was uncomfortable with leaving Zuko again but slipped out and locked the door behind him then walked back down the stairs to where Genia was standing. The fraying woman was positively beaming with pride and her strong green eyes seemed to twinkle a surplus of joy.

"Iroh! My customers are raving about your cooking! What did you do to the recipe to make it better?" She asked excitedly.

Iroh held up a finger. "A cook never reveals his secrets." He said modestly.

She chuckled. "Oh you. Whatever you did to it, the customers absolutely love it! When I would make it, they didn't like it at all."

Iroh shrugged, "Secret ingredient."

She laughed again. "Can you make this tomorrow?" She handed him another recipe for some type of fish and a special sauce.

Iroh looked it over and nodded. Genia hugged him. "Oh thank you Iroh! You are probably the best thing that has happened to this ole run down inn." She let go of him and blushed. For an older woman, she was still strong and full of life.

Iroh grinned and told her he was going to the market to buy some herbs for Zuko's wound. He looked sadly at the two gold pieces he had left. Genia rummaged through her pocket and handed him three copper pieces. Iroh looked at her with astonishment written all over his face. She smiled and told him to take the money as payment.

"Oh no. I can't accept this. You are already letting me stay here just for cooking. There is no way I'm going to accept your money too." He waved his hands in front of him.

"Please take it as payment for doing such a great job with the cooking." She pushed the money into his hands and before he could refuse she walked briskly away to the kitchen and shut the door. Iroh smiled to himself and walked out the door and down the streets to find an herbal shop. Around the large central building a large crowd had formed, Iroh tried to peer over the heads of the other townspeople and caught a glimpse of blue and red among the ocean of greens and browns. Soon he gave up trying to see what was going on and spotted an herbal shop on the other side of the street. He went in and bought enough herbs to last about two weeks then shuffled through the crowd to the inn again. On the way he heard loud wailing and saw a child dressed in red and yellow on the ground sobbing.

The Avatar.

Iroh was suddenly happy that Zuko was unconscious, with the Avatar here, they would all be found by the Fire Nation quite easily with Zuko's attitude. He brushed past him quickly then thought about seeing if the kid was okay but decided against it. Zuko was in dire need of these herbs and he needed to get them there as soon as possible. But why was the Avatar crying? And where were his companions? The small lemur was there but what about the bison, the blind girl, the water bender and her brother? He shook the thoughts from his head and continued on his way to the inn. For some reason, he felt as if he should stop by the stable and see the ostrich horse. So instead of going in the front door, he swung around behind the inn and walked through the stables to give the beast a pat. The ostrich horse immediately recognized him and snorted a greeting. Iroh absentmindedly scratched its feathery neck then after giving it a final pat he sluggishly slipped in the back door and headed up the stairs to his room.

It was getting dark by the time Iroh had managed to clean, medicate and rewrap Zuko's wound. He took the bandages off Zuko's chest and washed him with some warm water then tightly rewrapped him. I cup of tea was sitting on his bed stand that he hadn't noticed before. He picked it up and sniffed it. Under the cup was a note.

Dear Iroh,

I really appreciate all you have done so today I came up and dropped off a few things for you. In your closet you'll find fresh clothes and towels. I also brought you a cup of ginseng tea. I saw you drinking it in the kitchen earlier so I brought you up some ginseng tea but you were still out. I hope you don't mind that I was here. Maybe we can sit a talk sometime. Let me know what you think.

Take care,

Genia

P.S. I also brought up a few more rolls of bandages. They are in the closet as well.

Iroh smiled. That woman wouldn't give up on helping him. He stood up and sat on the edge of Zuko's bed running a hand along his nephew's forehead. He felt a little warm but Iroh decided it was nothing to worry about and he kissed his nephew on the head then lay down in his own bed by the door. The room was set up the same as all the others but was red and had flames painted on the ceiling.

He lay down and watched his nephew breathe slowly and shallowly then he slowly drifted off into a fitful sleep. He dreamt that Zuko was running from Azula and he didn't see the cliff in front of him. Iroh tried to stop him but Zuko said,

'Don't worry uncle. I can fly.'

'Don't be silly, people can't fly!' Iroh retorted back to him. Then with a big grin, Zuko jumped into the air and spread his arms out and soared over the canyon. Iroh decided that if Zuko could do it, he could too. So he jumped into the air at the edge of the canyon and soared through the air for a few feet then plunged downwards to a firey pit.

'Zuko! Help me!' he yelled as he started to sweat from the heat of the firey pit.

'I can't. You drink too much tea!' Zuko said to him as he glided along beside him.

'Zuko please!' he pleaded.

Zuko's eyes became sad. 'I'm sorry uncle.' And he flew off.

Iroh screamed and plunged downwards and seconds before he hit the ground he jerked upwards in his bed.

"A dream. It was only a dream." He touched his face with his fingertips and felt a cold sweat beading on his forehead. With a sleeve he wiped it away then estimated the time at around 2:00 in the morning. The room felt particularly hot and Iroh decided to go over and open a window to let some night air in. As he approached the window, the heat became more and more intense; his brain was in a fog so he wasn't processing anything correctly. As he leaned over Zuko to open the window everything snapped into place.

"Zuko!" He exclaimed horror-struck. Zuko was sweating so much the mattress he was laying on was wet. His temperature was through the roof and Iroh frantically opened the window and fanned the cool air over his nephew. The temperature wasn't going down so he pulled the blankets off the bed and unwrapped the soaking wet bandages off Zuko's torso. Beads of sweat were running down his forehead and Iroh had run out of things to try. He ran to the neighboring room and knocked on the door. Room 108.

000000

Loud, frantic knocking woke Katara and she sat up in her bed and yawned. Through the darkness in the room, she could see Toph's out line slinking over to the door. She placed a hand on the door feel the vibrations as to whom it was and before Katara could protest, opened the door. A large, paunch old man was standing outside the door, worry clear on his lined face. Katara jumped from her bed and hurried to the door.

"Aang isn't here." She spat.

Iroh rose his hands in front of him in submission. "I'm not here for the Avatar. My nephew is very ill and has a high fever. I can't get it to stop and I'm afraid he will die." He said through a shaky voice.

Katara felt immediately guilty for assuming that he wanted Aang. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought that since you were with Zuko that you wanted Aang." She apologized.

"I knew it was you. I could recognize your vibrations anywhere." Toph laughed.

A small smile flickered then died on Iroh's face. "Please. Help me." He pleaded. Katara nodded and they all walked next door.

Heat was radiating from the room and Katara immediately grew worried. Quickly she hurried over to Zuko and touched his skin, horror spread across her face when she touched him and saw the bruises on his chest. Instinctively she reached for her water skin but it wasn't there, she had taken it off to sleep. She looked around for something to put water in but there was nothing in sight.

"Toph! Go turn on the facet over there." She commanded. Toph went into the bathroom and turned on the facet. "Now, plug the drain so the sink fills up with cold water." Toph did as she was told and Katara bent the water out and doused Zuko's body in it. It seemed to sizzle on his skin and after twenty minutes of this, Katara decided that he was ready for ice. She froze the water on his body but almost as soon as it was frozen, it melted. She continued refreezing the water over and over again until she was completely exhausted. It had been almost and hour and his temperature was just now going down.

"Toph," Katara panted. "Will you go get the boys? I need Aang to help me. I'm getting to tired to do this anymore." Even around the ice, beads of sweat were forming on Katara's head and running down her face. Iroh said he was going to make some tea and followed Toph out the door.

Sokka and Aang came bursting in the door and for some odd reason, Katara had enjoyed being alone with Zuko. She shushed them and motioned Aang over.

"He's unconscious but his temperature was through the roof and he's not out of danger yet. Can you start refreezing the water on his body for me? I've been going non stop for an hour and I need a break."

Aang pulled up a chair to the bedside. "Of course I'll help." And he started to refreeze the water.

Katara watched him then walked over and sat on Iroh's bed. "I can't believe your helping the enemy!" Sokka argued.

Katara shot daggers at him. "Sokka, he's still a human being! I couldn't just sit by and watch him die from the fever!"

"Still he has been trying to capture Aang for the last…well, it's been a really long time."

"Regardless Sokka, I'm a healer and I feel the urge to help those who are in need." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"But he's the-" He was cut off by a rock that Toph launched at the back of his head. "Ouch!"

"Nice one Toph. Thank you." Katara said. Toph merely grinned and sat down in the corner by the bathroom.

"Where'd you get that rock anyway?" Sokka asked rubbing the back of his head. Toph pointed at the open window. Sokka picked up the rock and held it in his hand, immediately it started to roll around in his hand on it's own. Then it rose up into the air started to pelt him. Toph and Katara laughed and Sokka yelled at her to quit. She did and they all sat in silence until Iroh came back holding a large tray of tea.

Everyone grabbed a cup of tea and sipped at it. Iroh sat the empty tray down then stood over Zuko and watched Aang. There were less and less time between freezings and after another hour Zuko's temperature was down to normal. Katara sat on the bed beside Zuko with her knees folded underneath her.

"How did this happen?" She asked Iroh.

He sighed and proceeded to tell them the story. After the story Toph was looking slightly scared. Fear was clear in her cloudy eyes. She stood up and paced the room.

She thought for a moment. "Why are they after me?"

"Your parents! Your parents must have sent them out to bring you back and that man wanted to collect even more money by getting Zuko and Iroh." Sokka said intuitively.

"How do you know that?" Katara asked.

"Instinct." Sokka replied.

"Ye…ah…The last time we trusted your instinct, was chaos." Aang commented.

"Well, it wasn't all bad. Was I Katara?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, blushing.

"Your boyfriend, Jet." He grinned evilly. Aang looked suddenly sad.

"He wasn't my boyfriend Sokka. He was and evil, conniving, slimy, cockroach who only cared about himself!" Tears formed in her eyes and the water in the sink started to rise up.

"Calm down, calm down. I was just kidding!"

Katara looked down at Zuko's still body then to the bandage around his head. "What happened there?"

"He has a big gash." Iroh unwrapped the bandage and showed the wound to her.

Katara grimaced a the sight of the wound. "What is that stuff on there?"

"Herbs I bought from a shop downtown." Iroh told her.

"I bet that Zuko had an allergic reaction to the herbs and that caused his fever." Katara snapped her fingers and bent some water over to wash the herbs off. Then she wrapped the water around her hand like a glove and placed her hand on his head. Blue aura emitted from her hand and when she removed it, the wound was completely healed over. There was nothing to let someone know there was even a gash there except for the pink scar that ran across the spot.

"You are a healer. It was lucky that you were here tonight. He probably would have died." Iroh complimented.

"Well…" She blushed.

For the next hour, everybody slowly started to fall asleep where they were. Toph had settled down at the foot of Iroh's bed and was curled up asleep. Sokka had sat against the wall under the window by Zuko's bed and fallen asleep on the floor. Aang had fallen asleep in the chair he was sitting in. Iroh was on his bed leaning against the headboard with his arms folded across his chest sleeping. Katara was the last one still up. She was sitting beside Zuko and had sat so that her legs were off to the side of her and she was supporting her weight with one arm. Slowly she felt herself drifting off, and he head slowly falling down into her chest. She snapped herself out of it and crawled out of the bed and curled up beside Sokka. He woke slightly then wrapped an arm around her and went back to sleep. Katara laid her head in her older brothers shoulder and fell asleep.

**Me: for those who don't know. Genia's name is pronounced: Guh-nye-uh. **

**Sokka: (still scribbling)**

**Others: (watching Sokka try and write)**

**Sokka: STOP IT! I CAN'T WORK LIKE THIS!**

**Others: (snicker and move away slowly)**

**Me: I'm running low on inspiration for my authors notes. So if ya guys have any ideas, PM me. DON'T PUT IT IN YOUR REVIEW! Just PM me. Okay? The best idea will get posted.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Sorry for the wait! If I would get more reviews then maybe I would update faster! There are 14 people who have put this on their alert list so I should be getting at least 14 reviews every chapter! C'mon guys! Your reviews give me inspiration to get the next chapter done quickly! Please? First person to review this chapter gets a cookie and pat on the back!**

**Sokka: (still working, brow furrowed and in deep concentration)**

**Aang: (playing with his marbles)**

**Katara: (sparring with Zuko) Fire beats water!**

**Zuko: No, not if I can help it!**

**Toph: (Sits patiently and 'watches')**

**DISCLAIMER: I think you guys should know by now.**

Iroh was the first one to wake the next day. The morning breeze drifted in through the open window and Iroh guessed it to be around 8:00. His eyes drifted from the window down to Sokka and his sister asleep on the floor. They had such a strong bond; Zuko had never felt the love of a sibling. He only knows the pain and hurt that comes with being unloved. The only one that cared about him was he, and the water bender, Katara they called her. Iroh wondered if she knew how the Avatar was always looking at her, with such envy and love. Puppy love, he called it.

He got out of his bed as quietly as possible but it disturbed Toph and she woke up. Stretching, she stood up and stomped the floor to find everybody. She smiled when she 'saw' Katara and Sokka curled up on the floor. Iroh watched her with fascination, clearly she was blind but Earthbending helped her see. He guessed she had never felt the love of a sibling either, just overly protective parents. It was heart breaking to see how she wanted to have what they had, same with Zuko. Many a night he had heard Zuko mumble in his sleep about his mother and sister. Zuko would never admit it but he wanted the love of a family, he craved it. He was the only family Zuko had ever known ever since his banishment three years ago.

Toph sidled over to where Aang was curled up in his chair and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him. Her face was only a few inches from his and she just stared at him with her sightless eyes. Iroh watched curiously as Aang started to stir his eyes fluttered open and he gasped then fell over the back of his chair with a yelp.

"What the heck?" Aang stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "Toph!"

"Glad to see you finally woke up." She smirked.

Aang frowned and grumbled something about weird earth benders and sat back on the bed. Iroh chuckled to himself. Katara woke up from the thud of Aang hitting the ground.

"What's going on?" She asked sleepily as she pushed herself up off the floor and rubbed her eyes.

"Twinkle toes over here had a nightmare and fell over the back of his chair." Toph jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Nightmare, right. You can say that again." Aang mumbled. Toph frowned at him.

"Wha ime s eh?" Katara said through a yawn, which messed up all the words. "What time is it?" She asked this time saving her yawn for later.

"I'd say around 8:00." Iroh pointed out the window. "The sun is just rising."

"We only slept for three hours?" Aang growled. "What'd you wake me for?" He hissed at Toph.

"I didn't wake you, I just looked at you. You woke on your own." Toph gave her trademark smirk.

Aang walked out, clearly annoyed. "I'm going to my room to sleep. Come wake me in about three hours." He said over his shoulder then the click of a lock and the opening and slam of a door was heard. Iroh stood and shut his own door that Aang had left open.

Katara yawned again and stretched her arms up into the air. She stood and hopped onto Zuko's bed and crawled over to him. His temperature was normal but his pulse was a little slow. Katara dismissed it because of his comatose state. She grinned at Iroh and told him that Zuko was improving and was out of danger now. Iroh smiled and tears filled his eyes and he thanked her for her help.

"But I have to ask you one thing." He told her.

"What's that?" She asked, looking up from Zuko.

"Well, since your such a good healer-" Sokka let out a particularly loud snore at that moment. "Would you mind watching over Zuko? Because I work in the kitchens so I can stay here. So would you mind? It would mean a lot to me. I'll even bring you some of my food up for free when it's finished. I'll just be able to rest easier knowing that you're here to care for him."

Katara was surprised. She expected him to leave them alone or something. Not this, though. This was a complete and utter surprise. "Uh, well, if you really need me to…Sure. I'll care for him." Another snore from Sokka showed his disproval and that he was readying to wake. Katara watched him as he snorted then woke.

"He does that every time." Toph whispered to Iroh.

"I'm glad you'll take care of him for me. It really does mean a lot to me you know." He grinned.

"What? You're not staying here are you? With him?" Sokka exclaimed and pointed at Zuko.

"Shut your air hole Sokka. He's injured and needs my care."

"What if he wakes up and tries to hurt you?" He pointed out.

What if he doesn't and stays unconscious?" She retorted then looked tenderly down at the hurt teen. "Besides, even if he did wake up, he would be too weak to hardly even lift his head so lay off!" She yelled giving her brother a steely gaze that signaled the end of the conversation.

"She's right you know." Iroh added.

Sokka huffed. "Whatever." And he left the room. Judging by the closeness of the door slam, he went to his own room.

"You know, I think I'm gonna…" Toph yawned. "…Go to the room and sleep."

"Alright." Katara confirmed and Toph left also.

Iroh stood and started to the door. "I'm heading down to the kitchens to start breakfast. What do you like?"

"Anything is fine." She replied as she sat in the chair by Zuko's bed. "Nothing with papaya in it though."

"Okay. I'll be up after I serve all the guests. Breakfast stops serving at ten o'clock so I'll be up at ten thirty or eleven." He told her and he walked out.

She put her chin on her fist and felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier. Only three hours of sleep last night. She hadn't had so little sleep in a long, long time. Her eyes fluttered shut and her head felt to heavy to be supported by her tiny wrist. Slowly, she felt herself lean forward but was too tired to stop herself. When he head touched something smooth and warm she smiled thinking it was the mattress of the bed. She folded her arms under her chin and sighed, and then a deep beating was heard. Her eyes snapped open and she realized that she had fallen asleep on Zuko. His warmth was making her tired and feel so safe. To tired to really care, and partly liking being so close to him, she fell asleep to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

_The refreshingly sweet summer evening was perfect for water bending. Katara stood at the edge of a small stream about two feet wide. It jutted out from under a large rock and slowed to a trickled amongst many rocks. Toph was teaching Aang more Earth bending moves so she had the chance to practice water bending alone. She stripped down to the white bikini top and skirt like outfit she wore while in the water and stepped into the icy cool stream. Appa's happy groans could be heard as he rolled in a small patch of grass while Momo was stuffing his face with as many berries as he could fit into his tiny mouth. Sokka was relaxing against a large slanted rock, one arm behind his head and the other across his eyes. _

_Katara swirled the water into tall columns and froze it, just playing around. The ice columns were beautiful but played no part in helping her become a better water bender. The man hidden in the shadows was not interested in the fact she was a water bender, more in the fact she was so beautiful. Many would be surprised and amazed at the sight of a water bender but this man had known her long enough to appreciate more than her water bending skills. Katara had her back turned to him, admiring her work. This was his chance. He crept up and grabbed her from behind, placing a hand over her mouth and the other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her backwards into the forest._

_"Do not be afraid. I wouldn't dream of harming you." He whispered into her ear and as he pulled his hand from her mouth brushed it across her face. Katara felt a shiver shoot up her spine from his touch. He lowered his other hand to her waist and spun her around so she was facing him. His face was hidden in the shadow but he was handsome non the less. She should have screamed but she didn't. For some odd reason, she felt safe with him, like they were connected on some unfathomable level. "Why do you stay with these..." he searched for the right word. "Children? You seem close to the Avatar. Tell me, do you love him?"_

_Katara was taken aback. She didn't love Aang that way. Did she? She thought of him more as a little brother, right? Of course she did! He was like a little brother to her, that's all. "Like my own flesh and blood." She replied sternly._

_The man sounded relieved. "Come with me." He whispered, grasping her hand and leading her along the path. Katara resisted at first but then let him lead her. She analyzed the stature of the man; he was younger than she thought at first. He was about Sokka's height and weight but a little more muscled and broader in the shoulders. Dark, short, messy hair crowned his head. He reminded her of Jet in a way she immediately crushed that thought. Jet was a horrible person and this guy seemed nice yet demanding and gruff._

_"Where are you taking me?" Katara questioned as he pulled her along a winding path she recognized him somehow. He was so familiar and she knew she could trust him but who was it?_

_"You'll see." He replied, glancing back and smiling. She felt as if she would melt on the spot. His smile was enough to make her heart pound, but why? She couldn't possibly love this stranger, could she? Slowly, the woods thinned out and they came right up to the edge of a cliff. She gasped and stepped back. Why had he brought her here? What was he going to do to her?_

_"Scared?" He asked concerned. Katara nodded and he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. "Don't be." His warm breath on her skin made her heart pound harder, she pulled away, afraid he'd feel it. _

_"Where was it you were taking me?" She asked blushing. He smiled and took her hand again, the familiar chill shot up her spine again when his hand touched hers. They sidled down the cliff wall on a narrow path; the boy never loosened his grip on her hand. They shuffled along the narrow path pushing back swaths of Spanish moss that hung in their way until the path suddenly widened. Of the side of the cliff wall was a huge drape of moss. The boy pushed it back to reveal a cave._

_The slimy cave didn't impress Katara. "You brought me here to see this nasty cave?" She asked repulsed. _

_The stranger chuckled Katara liked it when he did that. "You shouldn't judge things by their outside appearance. Take a closer look inside." He pulled her inside and as soon as the moss recovered the entrance, small blue crystals on the walls lighted the cave. He pulled her through the cave. Deeper and deeper they went until they came to a huge open chamber. It was freezing in the chamber and Katara was rubbing her arms to keep warm. The guy noticed and draped his jacket around her shoulders. Katara smiled at him and thanked him._

_"Look up." He said raising his face upwards. _

_Katara did as she was asked and gasped form the beautiful sight that met her eyes. Ice hung in long pointed columns from the ceiling like the teeth of some huge beast. The reflection of the blue crystals off the ice created an unearthly effect._

_"It's gorgeous!" She crooned. _

_"It is isn't it?" He confirmed, not looking at the ceiling._

_"Why did you bring me here?" She asked suspiciously turning back to him._

_"To see you smile and to see you happy." He answered smiling. Katara blushed. "And to do this." He leaned in to her, breathing shallow. Katara's heart raced and her head pounded, he was going to kiss her. She leaned forward to him, their faces a mere inch apart. His eyes were gold and there was something on the left side of his face but she didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she draped her arms over his shoulders. She felt that she had been waiting for this for sometime. She kissed him for all she was worth. He didn't protest in the least but merely deepened the kiss. A feeling of completeness spread over her and then Katara broke the kiss._

_"Who are you?" She asked._

_The boy was disappointed. "Don't you remember?" he sighed. "I'm…"_

Her eyes snapped open. Someone had come in, she was sure of it. The creak of the door then the tiny click as it shut. There was no denying it. She spun around and saw nothing but a tray of food on the bed behind her.

Iroh.

Katara relaxed and stretched, then rubbed the back of her neck to get the crick out. How long had she been sleeping there? Well if Iroh had brought her some food, it must be around 11:00. She sighed and picked up the tray of food and set it on her lap. Sliced moon peaches covered in sugar were a side to pancakes smothered in honey. There was also a cup of coffee and a cup of tea. Katara had only drank coffee once and didn't like it. The smell was wonderful though; she took a sip and smacked her lips. Not bad, Sokka had made it the last time she had it so that could explain why it was so bad. She picked up a fork and dug in. Iroh had given her a generous amount of everything, and she ate it all with pleasure.

After finishing she sat in the chair with her knees up to her chest and sipped her tea. She had to admit; Iroh did know how to make a good cup of tea. He even out a little sugar in hers to make it taste even better. She left the coffee off to the side, the tea was much better. The smell of the coffee helped her wake though. She sat in silence, not thinking about much, just listening to the sounds of the street and the birds chirping and the growls of the ostrich horses behind the inn. Her eyes traveled around the room but kept flickering back to Zuko. For some reason, she liked to just look at him; it made her feel so happy and her heart would speed up.

Something in the back of her mind was trying to push its way through, something that he reminded her of. She sat and thought for a while trying to bring up the memories. Suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks and she almost dropped her cup of tea that she was clutching.

My dream. Her eyes widened. What does it mean?

All of it came flooding back to her. When he was taking her to the cave and then, the kiss. She reveled in the thought of that kiss, in the dream it had been so real, so passionate, so wonderful. Her eyes locked onto Zuko's face. The gold eyes and the 'something' on the left side of his face was his scar. There was no doubting it; Zuko was the boy from her dream. She stared in shock at Zuko then the shock wore off and she sort of wanted the dream to be real. She enjoyed the thought of kissing him.

'What am I thinking? That's Zuko! The enemy! I'm just tired. That's all, I'm not thinking straight.' She shook her head trying to clear it.

She could tell herself that all she wanted. Deep down, feelings for Zuko were surfacing, there was no denying it, no pushing them down again. The first time she had felt anything but hate for him was when he showed weakness at the sight of Iroh bring hurt by his sister. She had felt so bad for him and wanted to help but his pride and belligerent nature had her leaving them there and leaving. She remembered how later Sokka had confronted her about helping him.

"He was so helpless." She told him.

"I don't care! He's the enemy Katara! You don't happen the enemy!" He'd yelled.

Katara felt bad just looking at Zuko's helplessness before her. He was at her mercy basically, not that she'd ever harm him. She looked at him with pity and touched the scar on his face. Then ran a hand through his dark hair and then ran her hand along his cheek.

"I'm sorry for your pain. No one should go through that, being unloved by a parent. I can't imagine what that would be like." She rested her hand on his cheek, so warm and full of life yet so lifeless. Movement in his face made her heart skip, his eyes opened. And he was staring right at her.

**Me: Another long chapter and I leave you with a cliffhanger!…sorta… Pu-LEASE review! Please? Pretty please? It makes me so happy when you review…seriously, I want to see 14 reviews by the day after tomorrow or I won't update. I'm serious. If ya truly love meh story you'll review. **

**Katara: (kicking Zuko's firebending butt) I told you! Water beats fire! Give up yet?**

**Zuko: (panting) Never!**

**Katara: (freezes him) Now?**

**Zuko: Do I have a choice?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: Here's the updated chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Some of it is slightly boring but it had to be typed because it was important to the story.**

**Sokka: I GIVE UP! (throws hands in air in defeat)**

**Toph: Three hours. Fork over the dough. (holds out hand to Katara, Zuko and Aang)**

**Sokka: What are you doing?**

**Toph: We made a bet to see how long you would last until you gave up. I bet three hours, Zuko bet ten minutes, Katara bet an hour and a half and Aang bet all day. But I won!**

**Sokka: Why are do guys picking on me so much?**

**Zuko: Blame Jessie, she's the one who wrote this.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar or any of it's character but I do own this tasty chicken pot pie and the first three volumes of Book 1: Water.**

Katara jumped backwards, a little surprised at his reaction. After he didn't say anything she pulled in closer to him. "Zuko? Can you hear me? Do you know who I am?"

His eyes seemed distant as if he were looking straight through her. They seemed dead and painful. Suddenly, they got brighter as if he just realized Katara was there and she was someone he knew very well.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked again. "Nod your head if you do."

Slowly his head moved up and down and he was gasping for breath. "Beautiful…" His voice was scratchy and painful sounding. "…angel…"

Katara was taken aback. "No, I'm the water bender. Remember?" She grasped his hand in hers and rubbed the fingers.

_Great, he's delirious. _

He shook his head, "Angel…it…hurts…make…stop…" He rasped as a tear made it's way down his face. He squeezed his eyes shut and Katara shook him to make him reopen them. When he did, his eyes light up with joy. "…Mother…" He said joyously, or as joyously as he could when he was barley able to speak. A small smile flickered across his face then faded and died. "It…hurts…Mother…" He paused for a long time and just stared at Katara. "…please…make…it….ssss…stop…" He gasped painfully.

Katara felt hot tears rolling down her face and she felt him grasp her hand tighter and pull her down to him. "I'm sorry…I can't do anything." She told him through tears.

He started to sob. "Mother!…please…." He cried into her hand. "…don't…don't leave me!…" He again gasped in pain.

Katara watched the sharp rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to breathe. Watching him be in so much pain was almost unbearable, she turned her head away. His hand on her face made her immediately turn back to him.

"…Stay Mother…please…don't leave…Father…he…hates me!" He wailed.

Katara held his face in her hands. "Sh, I won't leave. I'll stay with you." She whispered.

He looked unconvinced. "…It…hurts so…much…" He touched his chest. "…I…love you…Mother…" He wheezed painfully.

"I love you too." She told him. An odd sense of relief swept over her as she said this. She bent down and kissed his forehead then wiped the tears off his face. He tried as hard as he could to grin at her but his face merely twisted into a expression of pain and confusion. His eyes narrowed and he jerked his hand away from Katara.

"Azula…I…hate you!...Get away!" He hissed.

"I'm not Azula." Katara tried to tell him.

He gave her a look that shot daggers and cupped his ears. "No, you…are…" He shook his head. "Azula…always lies…Azula…lies…" He told himself. "I…don't…want you…here…I don't…care if…you…are my…sister! Leave!" The last part he said with such ferocity Katara actually pulled back away from him. She stood up and walked away but before she reached the door he called out again.

"Mother!" He rasped. "Mother…don't…go…please…stay…" He reached a shaky hand out over the side of the bed as if trying to grasp her.

Katara shook the thoughts of getting Iroh and went back to his side. "I'm here. It's all right." She again took up her hand and felt a weird feeling shoot through her body but she dismissed it.

Zuko stared at her for a while then again he looked confused. _'Wonder who I am now?'_ Katara thought.

He looked at her with ferocity but it died and he opened his mouth to speak then shut it. His eyes seemed to be fading and his gaze again drifted away from Katara, she shook him to get his attention focused on her again.

"Zuko? What's wrong?"

"…p…peasant…water…peasant…" He lifted a hand and touched her face. "…why…do…you….c…care…so…much?" he asked painfully.

"You recognize me? You know who I am?" She was elated that he had snapped out of his delirium so quickly. Why wasn't he trying to hurt her yet? That question would have to wait.

He nodded his head. "…why…" His eyes slowly were drifting shut and his hand was falling limp in hers.

"Zuko? Zuko?" She shook him. "Zuko!" He was unresponsive, again he had passed out. Katara checked his pulse just to make sure he was still alive. Soon after she had done that, she felt like crying and she did. She cried for the pain in his face, the pain in his heart, the pain is his chest. She cried for him because he couldn't.

She cried for him.

Screaming her frustrations into a pillow seemed to help but then she just wanted to cry again as the immense guilt and sadness at Zuko's hurt passed through her mind. She wanted to take it all away, and make him healthy again and be with him. Her heart was content while she was with him, and she didn't know why. Being with him has made her realize that she does feel something for him, something deep down. Something that shouldn't be there, they were as opposite as black and white, sky and earth, fire and water. What about the saying, 'Opposites attract.'? Her hand found it's way to his face and she again caressed the wild roughened, tanning skin of the enemy. Not that he was much of a threat now. The thought that he was becoming very handsome kept swimming through her head and she couldn't shake it.

I knock on the door signaled someone at the door and Katara quickly snapped out of her reverie and wiped her eyes. Then she stood and walked over to the door and opened it, letting Iroh in. One look at Katara's face and he immediately seemed horrified.

"Is he okay?" He asked nervously.

Katara sniffled. "Yeah, he's fine."

Iroh was relieved. "Oh. Well, what is wrong with you?" He set down the bowl of Moon Peaches he was carrying, on the nightstand.

"Well, while you were gone, Zuko sort of woke up. He was delirious and thought I was an angel at first…" She blushed.

Iroh smiled, "Continue."

"And he said something about how badly he was hurting. I tried to see if he could understand who I was but he just looked at me funny then he thought I was his mother. He said something about how he didn't want me- uh, his mother- to leave him with his father because his father hates him or something. What happened with his mother and father?" She asked him.

Iroh rubbed his chin, "Finish telling me what happened first."

"Okay. Next he thought I was some girl named Azula and said how he hated her then mumbled something about her lying."

"That all?"

For a moment she almost said yes but didn't. "No. He finally realized who I was and asked why I cared and helped him. Before I could answer he passed out again."

"Hmmm, I see." Iroh folded his arms across his chest. Katara looked at Zuko and could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She wiped her eyes and hid her face. "I just feel bad that I couldn't help him. That's all." She turned away from Zuko and focused again on Iroh.

"Oh, you wanted to know about his mother and father right?" he said, changing the subject.

Katara nodded.

"See, years ago, when Zuko was only twelve or so, my only son died and I came back from battle to mourn his death. The Fire Lord at the time was very old and my brother, Ozai went to him to ask to be the next in line for the throne because I did not wan it any longer. The Fire Lord was angered and told Ozai that he too must feel the pain of losing a first-born son. When Zuko's mother found out Ozai, his father, was going to kill him she took his place instead and was killed. Zuko did not know this until later but refuses to believe his father would do something even though he knows it deep down."

Iroh finished.

"That's terrible! I knew he was a ruthless man but I didn't think he would go that far!" Katara said. "What about Zuko's scar? How'd he get that"

"I really don't think he would appreciate me telling you this." Katara gazed at him with big blue eyes and he changed his mind. "But what he doesn't know won't hurt." He winked. When Zuko was about thirteen he went to a conference with orders from me to say nothing. Being the way he is he spoke out against one of the men and was forced to a duel. But Zuko didn't know that he would have to duel his own father and when the time came to battle, he refused to fight his own father and kneeled down, begging for forgiveness for speaking out. Ozai refused to stop the battle and screamed how Zuko was a disgrace and then gave him that scar he has now." Iroh looked over at his nephew who was laying still on the bed.

"He really has had a hard past. I thought I had it bad, but Zuko's had had it ten times over. I guess though, we have something in common. Both our mothers were killed by Fire Nation." Her eyes came glassy and distant.

Iroh put an arm around her. "I'm sorry." He told her. They sat in silence for a while. "Your friends should be back soon."

"Back? What do you mean?"

"Oh, they went a head and left while you were asleep."

She jumped up. "Oh! I forgot I was supposed to help Aang get Appa back! I can't believe I forgot!"

"Calm down. They will be back soon enough." There was a mad scramble in the hall with shouting and stomping. A breathless Genia burst into the room holding a broom.

"Those hoodlums are back and tracking mud everywhere!"

Katara grinned. "Those are my hoodlums!" She jumped up and ran out the door and slid down the banister. Iroh laughed and stood to help Genia with cleaning the mud off the floor.

Katara slid right off the banister and into Aang's arms. "Hey! I'm sorry I couldn't go with you…"

He gave her a steely, slightly surprised look. "We didn't get him."

"What?"

"We couldn't get Appa back!" He yelled.

"You don't have to yell at her Aang." Sokka cut in.

"Well, why?"

"The guards let us through but when we got to the King he wouldn't give us Appa and told us to get lost. Aang told him he was the Avatar but the King just had us 'escorted' out. He fought through them but in the end we were back out in the street." Toph told her.

"We'll try again tomorrow." Katara said cheerfully.

"We? Or us?" He gestured around to all the others. "While you stay here and play nurse to an unconscious teenager, we'll, " again he gestured to the others. "Go and get Appa." Aang spat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would get so upset." Katara apologized.

"Yeah well think about that the next time you break a promise." He growled.

"Aang, that's enough." Sokka said.

"Oh sure! Take her side! She is your sister after all." He threw his arms up in the air.

"What is your problem? You have been acting hateful like this for a long time it needs to stop!" Sokka stepped in between Aang and Katara.

"What ever." And he stalked up the stairs and slammed his door.

"I'll talk to him. " Sokka started up the stairs but Toph stopped him.

"Maybe I should talk to him. You'd just make him angrier." She reasoned.

"Good point." Katara agreed and Toph walked up the stairs.

Sokka looked sadly at his sister. "Why'd you stay behind?"

"I fell asleep." She told him.

He shook his head. "I mean, why did you agree to care for Zuko?"

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. He just seemed so helpless."

"Let's take a walk and you can tell me about it." He said.

Katara agreed and they walked down the street as she told him about Zuko waking up and him being delirious and what Iroh had told her.

000000

Toph knocked on the door of Aang's room and it was answered with silence. "Aang, I know you're in there. I can see you." She knocked again. "Twinkle Toes let me in!" She was about to bang her fist against the door when it opened.

"What do you want?" He asked dully as he walked over and sat down on his bed again.

"Just wanted to see how it was goin' and if you were alright." She said nonchalantly.

"Well I'm fine." He snapped and laid down his with back to her.

"Then why are you always yelling at Katara?" She sat down across from him. "She probably thinks you hate her now."

"That's why you're here isn't it?" He spun around.

"Keep your arrow on. I'm not here because of her. I'm here for me, because I wanted to know why you are always yelling at her."

He eyed her suspiciously then turned away again. "I don't know."

"I think you do know."

"Why do you care all the sudden anyway?" He spat.

"I just wanted to know." She said coolly. "And I'm the only you can tell with out getting the stuffing beat out of you."

"I'm not telling you."

"Fine then." She got up to leave.

"Come back." He sat up and looked after her.

Toph grinned and turned around. "Yes?"

"I want to tell you." He lowered his head.

Toph sat beside him. Alright."

"I just can't stand that…" he sighed. "She is…so pretty…and I …don't like that she doesn't like me back.. In the way I want her to." He looked out the window.

"Well, that's no reason to scream at her." She told him.

"I KNOW! I know." He put his head in his hands. "Every time I look at her eyes… I feel frustrated because I can't have her." He started to get more and more comfortable with her.

"I wouldn't know what it's like to look into someone eye's and see the color of them." She said a little crestfallen.

"I'm sorry."

"No it's nothing." She paused. "you know, I have my share of frustrations and I don't take it out on everybody."

"Like what?"

"Like not being able to see, and the task of dressing and finding things that match and wanting to see the colors of the world."

"I didn't know you felt that way." He said.

"Yeah well you were too busy with following Katara around like a love sick puppy to care about what the rest of us thought."

"us?"

"Me and Sokka."

"I didn't realize I was ignoring you guys. I always feel that Katara is ignoring me when she wants to talk to someone else. That's why I would get angry when she did notice me because I felt like she only did it because she wanted something." He lowered his head in shame.

"You shouldn't feel that way. Katara loves you just not in the way you want her to." Toph smiled. "Besides there are other people you love you, you just haven't figured it out yet." She hinted.

"Who do you mean? I know Coco liked me but-"

Toph became angry. "You are so clueless!" And she stalked off leaving Aang to wonder what she had just meant.

**You guys remember how I said that this story wasn't going to be more than 20 chapters? Well, I looked over my notes and it isn't going the way I want it to my chapter are longer than I expected and I keep adding new stuff in there so the chapters are falling behind schedule. I could make my chapters even longer I suppose but I don't want to guys have to read a novel for each chapter. I don't really care for longer chapters but it's up to you guys. More chapters that are all that same length (or close to the same length) Or less, longer chapters that may be different lengths?**

**Let me know what you think in your review!**

**Also, I would like to thank all my reviewers. You know who ya are! Love ya! **

**Also, to one of my anonymous reviewers, thanks for the ideas but GET OUT OF MY HEAD! That is almost exactly what I was going to have happen! AAH! You're psychic!**

** Oh and I won't be able to update for a while! I have school the next couple of days so I'll soon be swamped with homework beyond comprehension…bleh…Keep readin' and givin' me the reviews that I and this story thrive on! Maybe by Saturday we can up it too 90 reviews or even 100! When I get 100 reviews, I'll give you guys a super sneak preview of what's to come! I can tell you, it will be fluffy and romantic! So give meh some reviews and I love ya'll! **

**Thanks to Keke Koorime, Katara24, blackrose305, InuLvr7, zoorhlm13, Jen, Firebending Wryo, miss-katara, cayavatar, Zukoscute2, Anonymous, sparkiling silver angel wings, katara-water25, Inu-chan4, vegetasprincess and all the other reviewers who are so good to me! LOVE YOU!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: AH! I'm sorry for the really long wait! I've ben really busy with school! Trig, Chemistry, Honors English….yuck…Sorry! On the weekends I've been really lazy…heh heh. This is a long chapter to make up for it!**

**Sokka: And you call ME lazy.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**Sokka: Well you're the one who hadn't posted an new chapter for like two weeks.**

**Me: At least _I_ can write. (smirk)**

**Sokka: (frowns) I was just out of it.**

**Me: Uh-huh…riiiight…**

"You really think that'll work?" Katara asked, unsure about trusting her brothers ideas.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't it?"

Katara had to admit, of all his stupid plans, this one was actually good and, dare she say it, foolproof. "Run it by me one more time."

"Okay. We go up to he guards and one of us distracts them so Toph can open the doors and we run through. You freeze a wall behind us to keep the guards from following us. Aang will blow his whistle to-"

"Wait, what if there are more guards?" Katara asked as she accidentally bumped into a man. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"I thought of that too. You and I will take them out while Toph and Aang search for Appa."

"Alright, what happens after we find Appa?" She asked while rummaging through some food on a stand.

"I'm glad you asked. That's where Toph comes into play, she uses her Earthbending vibration thing to find the way out."

Katara thought for a moment, "Sokka, I must admit, you've outdone yourself this time." She pointed to some small loaves of bread. "I'll take four of those." She told the owner of the stand as she handed him the money. "I just hope it works."

"What? Of course it will work!" Sokka said, exasperated.

"No," she poked his chest, "You see, that's where you're wrong. Every time we think something is going to go right, it goes wrong. Every time."

"Well, mayb-"

"Every time."

"I thi-"

"Every time."

"Stop th-"

"Ev-ery time." She over enunciated the syllables.

Sokka sighed and shook his head and watched as his sister walked in the wrong direction to the hotel. "Hotel's this way." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

Without missing a beat, Katara turned on her heel and headed in the other direction. "I knew that." She said, head held high as she marched onward.

Sokka shook his head and followed. Katara couldn't hold all the loaves by herself so she handed Sokka two of them as they wound through the crowded streets to the hotel. Someone was following them, Katara could sense it. She moved quickly though the crowd trying to get him off their tail. She spun around when he called her name. Immediately her face lightened and she flung herself into his arms.

"Haru!" She exclaimed, hugging him.

"Hey Katara." He laughed. He turned to Sokka. "Hello Sokka." They shook hands.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked.

"My father and I came here to find some Earthbenders that fled our city to escape Fire Nation. We want to get them to come back now that the Fire Nation has left and we rebuilt what they destroyed." He shielded his eyes against the sun. "Only problem is, I can't seem to find my father. These crowds are so thick, it's almost impossible."

"Where was your father headed to last you saw him?" Sokka asked.

Haru thought. "I think he was going to a stand to get some food or something." He rubbed his neck. "That doesn't help much."

"You right, it doesn't." Sokka turned back around. "We are heading back to the hotel. You can join us if you want to."

"No, I couldn't possibly…"

"Please come!" Katara grabbed his arms, pleading for him to come.

Haru chuckled. "How could I resist eyes like that?" He wriggled free of her grip and followed Sokka. Katara blushed and walked along side of him.

"It's really great to see you Haru."

"Yeah. It's nice to see you guys again. But, where's the air bender you had with you last time?"

"He's at the hotel having a hissy fit." Sokka said over his shoulder.

"He is not!" Katara defended. "He's just upset because Appa is gone. You know, the flying bison."

"I couldn't forget that thing if my life depended on it! He ate half of our hay!" Haru laughed.

"Sorry about that. What do you expect from a ten-ton fluffy monster?" Katara pointed out.

They arrived at the hotel and went upstairs. "Oh, we have a new addition to our group." Katara told him.

"Oh? And who is it?" Haru asked.

"An Earthbending master." She said. "Follow me." They left Sokka to his own room and went into the one Katara and Toph shared. Toph was lying on her bed facing the window.

"Who's that with you?" She asked.

"Toph, this is Haru. Haru, Toph." She gestured from Earthbender to Earthbender.

Haru looked shocked. "How did she know that I was someone else without even looking?" Toph rolled over ad sat up to face them. "And I thought you said she was an Earthbending master."

"She is." Katara said proudly.

"Really? She's only like, twelve!" He exclaimed. "How can she be and Earthbending master already?"

"She's blind." Katara said.

"Hello! I'm right here!" Toph waved her arms for emphasis.

"Oh, sorry Toph." Katara apologized.

Haru seemed indefinitely interested. "Are you seriously blind?" He peered at her face.

Toph pointed at her face. "Note serious face and cloudy eyes." She said then lay down and rolled over.

"How did you know I was here though? And more importantly, that I was a different person?" Haru asked.

Toph sat back up. "I can see that I'm not going to get any sleep so I might as well tell you. Okay, I was born blind and grew up in a palace where I was treated like a baby everyday of my life. I got sick of it and demanded that I be taught Earthbending. My parents eventually gave in and found me a teacher. After a few years of practice I learned I could see with Earthbending. Not see like you guys do, see the vibrations. Whenever you step down vibrations are sent across the floor and I can feel them in my feet, which travels up to my mind and creates a mental picture. Got it?" Haru nodded. "My teacher would only teach me the basics, thinking I couldn't see at all and I got sick of it but I didn't want my parents to know my secret. I started to enter in competitions and I did great. I beat some of the strongest, meanest men you've ever seen. They called me, The Blind Bandit. And I used that name to it's fullest. I only lost once, and that was to Aang. I couldn't see he wasn't an Earthbender because he used air to fight and it would hit the rocks making them move and that was all I was concerned about."

"That is so interesting!" Haru exclaimed.

"Sh, go on." Katara said.

"When he would ump up into the air, I would get nervous because I couldn't 'see' him. As soon as he touched back down I would launch rocks at him but he somehow dodged them and in the end he sent a large wave of air at me and knocked me out of the ring, they declared him the winner." She frowned. "Aang then begged me to teach him Earthbending but I wouldn't hear it and I ignored him. But he never quits and followed me home where he explained his situation. A man called The Boulder ambushed us and he took us away." She stopped and tried to recall what happened next. She finished telling him what had happened.

"And here I am in this dingy hotel room." She threw her arms up in the air.

"Who calls my hotel room dingy?" Came an older voice from outside the door. Genia poked her head inside and frowned. "Who's that?" She pointed at Haru.

"A friend."

"Is he paying to stay here?"

"Um…no ma'am." He said.

"OUT!" She bellowed. "NO FREELOADERS!" She then proceeded to chase him down the steps with a broom. Katara and Toph were close behind. Haru ran out onto the street and tripped, falling down in front of the man Katara had bumped into earlier.

"Dad?" Haru asked.

His father smiled. "Yes. I've been looking for you." He said.

"Haru!" Katara ran over to him.

"Hello Katara." His father said. "I hope you don't mind short goodbyes but we have to get moving." He said modestly.

Katara looked upset. "I understand." She nodded and embraced each of them, hanging on to Haru a little longer.

"Don't worry, I'll come back and see you soon." He smiled.

"We won't be here for much longer. After we get Appa back, we have to leave and find Aang an Firebending teacher." Katara sighed as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh. Well, we'll meet again one day." He told her.

"Haru! Let's go!" His father called.

"I got to go." He kissed her cheek and ran after his father.

Toph snorted behind her and went back inside. "You and guys."

Katara watched Haru snake through the crowd, then, disappear. She solemnly turned around and went back inside. As she passed the kitchen she heard Genia talking to Iroh.

"Do you think the inn is dingy?" She asked him over the clinking of dishes.

"Dingy? Who said that? I think it's…uh…quaint." Katara could feel his goofy smile.

Genia laughed. "You always know how to make me laugh Iroh."

Katara smiled and continued up the steps, passing Aang and the others as they went down. "Where are you guys going?"

"To get Appa. We figures you would be wanting to stay with Zuko." Aang snarled.

Katara was taken aback. "No, I'm coming." She sprinted down the steps. "Let me go tell Iroh."

She burst into the kitchen to see Iroh and Genia holding hands as they sat at a table by the sink. She giggled and cleared her throat.

"Um, Iroh?"

He spun around, quickly letting go of Genia's hand. "Yes?"

"I'm going with the others to get Appa back so I can't stay with Zuko." She told him as much as it hurt her to say it.

Iroh looked crestfallen. "Oh. I was planning on…uh...going out tonight. I was going to even pay you to care for him." He glanced at Genia.

"I'm sorry but-"

"Are you coming?" Sokka poked his head in the door.

Katara's mind reeled. "Sokka! Sokka, please watch over Zuko for me! I'm I major part in your plan to get Appa back. But you, you don't do much so we don't really need you."

"Gee thanks."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I'm not staying here though." He refused.

"Please? Iroh is got things he really has to get done tonight and he can't cancel."

"What is taking so long?" Toph shoved Sokka aside and walked in.

"Please Sokka. Stay here." Katara pleaded, looking up at him with big, blue shining orbs. "For your baby sister?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and looked away then he looked back and away again. "You know I hate it when you do that." He tried to push her away. "Did you have to use the baby sister line? You know that gets me every time. You must really want me to stay here." Katara made her lip quiver slightly. "Oh, not that!" He closed his eyes. "Alright, alright I can see there is no way I'll win this. I'll stay."

"Oh thank you, thank you , thank you!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "You're the best!" She squeezed the life out of him.

"Would you mind putting that in writing?"

"Don't push it." She laughed.

"You're staying?" Aang came in. "Why?"

Katara explained everything to Aang and he mumbled an alright then sulked out. Sokka sluggishly walked up the stairs and went into Zuko's room to watch him. The others marched down the street to the palace.

"What's our distraction?" Toph asked.

"Watch and learn." She said. "Aang, pretend you are trying to get my pouch okay? Be mean about it."

Aang nodded. When they got close enough to the guards Katara ran through the crowd screaming, "He's after me! Help! Help!" Aang chased her through the crowd and the guards left their posts to investigate the interruption of the quiet day. Toph opened the doors and they all slipped through while the guards were still searching the group of people. Once in side, Toph shut the doors and Katara used water from her pouch to freeze a wall behind it. They slipped down a corridor and found themselves in a bathroom somehow. Aang blew the whistle and a roar came from somewhere in the building. Toph felt the vibrations and led them down another hallway and down that hallway they came face to face with some guards.

The guards looked surprised that the kids were there then lowered their swords at them. Toph was useless; there was no Earth to bend so she stayed out of the way. Aang parted the way by using the ball of air to send the guards flying backwards into a wall. There they stay, lumped down at the bottom of wall, rubbing their heads. Katara froze them there and they all continued down the hallway.

"We're getting closer." Toph confirmed. "Aang blow that whistle again." Aang did and Toph felt the vibrations from the answering roar. "This way!" She led them a little way back up the way they had come and then down another hallway. They came up on a large rock wall. Toph told them there was no way to get through it without Earthbending. She and Aang joined together and managed to create a hole big enough for all of them to crawl through. Just as Katara got an arm in the hole, it shut and pinned her arm. She yelped in pain and threw Toph the nastiest look she could muster. Toph and Aang looked at her, horrified as a man stepped out of the shadows, cackling. He was wearing long royal robes of emerald green and a large Earthbending headdress. His paunchy fingers were studded with emeralds and opals. He had black hair and electric green eyes. He was of normal stature but a little large around the waist.

"I've been watching you three." He said. "I know you are the Avatar and those are your lackeys." He pointed to Katara and Toph. He said 'those' as if Katara and Toph were something revolting on the bottom of shoe.

"We aren't his lackeys!" Katara gasped trying to free her squished arm.

"You aren't eh?" He smirked. "Well then, since you aren't with him I can do away with you." He closed the rock around Katara's arm even more, breaking it. Katara wailed and refused to cry. She was taking short, shallow breaths from her pain. The man's face twisted into a mocking smile.

"You think you're strong huh? I'll break you of that." He laughed.

"Toph! Do something!" Aang said frantically.

"I am! I am!" She worked to remove the entire wall of rock but it was no use, she couldn't do it alone. Aang joined in, copying her motions but all they managed to do was crumble the rock and put Katara in even more danger.

"It's no use." The man grinned maliciously. "You either do what I say or the blind girl gets it next!" He said to Aang.

"Run Toph!" Katara yelled, the man was displeased and tightened the rock around her arm she squealed in pain and closed her eyes, trying to keep her tears from rolling down her face. Again he tightened it, Katara screamed as loud as she could and let tears roll down her face.

OOOOOO

Sokka walked into the room and shook his head as he sat in a chair beside the unconscious Firebender.

"Look at you. Unconscious. Heh, I never thought I'd see the day that you wouldn't try and kill me." He leaned back in the chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "You know, I think I like this better than going with my sister and the others to get Appa back." He closed his eyes and fell asleep, loud snores emitting from his mouth.

Zuko opened his eyes then re-shut them. "Uncle, you're snoring again." He mumbled, not taking in the situation. He immediately opened his eyes again and looked up at the red ceiling. "What the?" He tried to sit up but was too weak. He managed to prop himself up on an elbow and looked to his left. He saw Sokka sitting in the chair asleep and yelled. Sokka woke and yelled also, falling over the back of the chair.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko snarled, trying to get his vision to clear.

"Making sure you don't die!" Sokka said back.

"Liar!" Zuko sat up, pain shot through his chest and he gasped, clutching it. "What did you do to me?" He wheezed.

"You really shouldn't –"

"Shut up peasant!" He spat as a small fireball escaped his fingertips.

Sokka ducked to avoid it. "You really shouldn't, you've been out cold for two days!"

Zuko's vision grew cloudy and everything started to spin. He got off the bed and tried to stand, a pain shot through his head and he yelped, clutching it. "Stupid…peasant." He forced out as he collapsed on the ground.

OOOOOO

"I knew you'd break sooner or later." He smiled. "Avatar, come over here."

"Run Toph!' Katara yelled again, through her sobs.

"I can't." She said. "Literally, I can't." She pointed at her feet, which were stuck in the ground.

"Avatar, I said come here." The man demanded. Hesitantly, Aang left Toph's side and stiffly walked over. "Faster unless you want your girlfriends feet to be crushed." He tightened the ground around Toph's feet for emphasis. She gasped from the pain. Aang jogged over.

"You're a sick man. I want my flying bison back." Aang demanded.

The man frowned. "I paid a lot for that bison. There is nothing you can give me that'll match the amount of money I paid for him." He smirked.

Aang thought for a moment. "There has to be something!" He pleaded.

The man smirked evilly. "I tell you what. You give me your friends here to be my servants and I'll let you have your bison back and you can go do whatever you want."

Aang matched his smirk. "Deal." He stuck out his hand.

The man looked slightly taken aback then took Aang's hand and shook it. "You must really want your bison back." He pointed out.

Aang nodded and the man opened the door, releasing Katara who fell to the ground and clutched her broken arm, sobbing. While he had his guard down, Aang, released Toph and then followed him through the doorway. He jerked his head in the direction of the exit and Toph helped Katara up and they slipped down the hallway, behind the King's back. Aang walked silently alongside of the King to a series of chambers. A loud bellow was heard and Aang recognized it as Appa. He ran up to the gates of a large pen, which was small for Appa to be in. Appa grumbled a hello and licked Aang's face happily. Aang returned the favor by hugging Appa's head and saying how much he missed him and how he loves him.

"Gotcha!" The man said and slammed the door behind Aang. "Don't know Earthbending yet do you?" Aang decided it would be in his best interest to play dumb.

"No." Said he.

The King laughed. " I knew it! You use your Airbending to move objects, making it look like Earthbending!"

"You caught me." Aang grumbled.

"And now you are my slave! Along with those girls!"

Aang sighed the most solemn sigh he could and put his face in his hands, letting tears roll down his face. They weren't from sadness that he was trapped but because of the immense happiness that he was reunited with Appa.

"Aw! Poor ickle Avatawr is sad dat he is twapped in da big bad king's pwisons! Cwy ickle Avatawr Cwy!" He sad in a mock baby voice, then he laughed. "I knew you were nothing but a little brat! You will be here for the rest of your pointless life."

_'Does he not realize that I'm the real Avatar? The real thing? This guy is a total and complete idiot. Getting past him will be easy!'_

"Now I shall gloat over my victory!" He cackled and walked off. Aang listened as the man's footsteps died away then waited another ten minutes until he was sure that he was out of earshot and earthbent his way out of the prison cell and lead Appa through the labyrinth of hallways until they found the exit. He opened the door with Earthbending then leapt out, Appa at his heels. The guards watched in awe as Appa soared overhead, groaning in an infectious happiness. Aang laughed and ran beneath in his shadow until they got to the inn. He hugged Appa and stepped inside, running to see if Katara was all right.

"AHHHH!" Katara's blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall. Terrified, Aang sprinted as fast as he could to the room. He burst in, startling everybody. Katara lay on the bed as Genia tried to wrap her broken arm. She cried and Toph stood beside her, clutching her hand and nervously pushing Katara's hair from her face. Sokka was trying to help Genia wrap her arm and splint it but he was shaken up at the sight of his baby sister in so much pain so he gave up and tried to comfort her. Aang watched, horrified; he hadn't realized that her arm was that badly broken. Katara had had her shirt cut off so Genia could try and align the bone and splint the arm. Katara screamed every time Genia tried to replace the bone. Iroh was helping Genia hold the bone in place so it could be splinted. Finally, they managed to splint the arm and wrap it so Katara was left to lay on the bed, gasping in pain and letting tears slide down her face. Aang looked out the window and saw Appa below.

A man was approaching him, he was wearing emerald green robes and his fingers were studded with precious jewels. Aang ran down the stairs and airbent the man away from Appa. He spun around and snarled at Aang. "You filthy liar! You know how to Earthbend! You broke our promise! I don't have any blind Earthbending girls or water tribe girls!" He pointed an accusing finger at Aang.

"Actually, I didn't break the promise, you did. The minute you slammed the door on me, you broke the deal." Aang said coolly.

"Little brat!" He spat.

" No, I only tell the truth and I keep my promises." Aang rubbed his fingertips. "Did you really think you would be able to keep me in that cell? Even if I didn't know how to Earthbend, I would have gotten out somehow or another, you are that stupid to keep the Avatar locked up so he couldn't save the world from the Fire Nation?"

The King hissed under his breath. "I don't need to waste my time on a smart aleck little snot like you." And he stormed off.

**Me: Aang is all awesome in this chapter. Poor Katara, broken arm. Owie. I had to bring Haru back. That was his name right? Or was it Haku? I'm pretty sure it is Haru. **

**Aang: I rock in this chappie!**

**Zuko: I'm unconscious for most of this chapter!**

**Katara: (listening to music)**

**Me: Whatcha listening to?**

**Katara: Oh this? It's your Fray CD.**

**Me: Thanks for asking to use it.**

**Katara: (goes back to listening)**

**Me: Review guys! I barely got any reviews on the last chapter! So I had better get a bunch on this one! The more you guys review, the quicker I'll get the next chapter up!**

**Katara: (singing) There is really no way to reach me. 'Cause I'm already gone. This is your maverick. This is Vienna.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: (stretches) Well here's chapter eleven. Not really a lot of Zutara in this one but I can't rush this you know. **

**Zuko: She's just lazy.**

**Me: Yeah right! You try writing when you have Trig homework every night and at least two major tests every week!!!**

**Zuko & others: (cringe in fear)**

**Me: Anyway, this has some Zutara in it for all of ya'll who were bothering me about it. Not that I really care. I wanted to add some Zutara in this chapter so I took out a lot of things that were supposed to happen.**

**DISCLAIMER: I really shouldn't have to put this up…**

Katara brushed some hair from her face and smiled at Aang. He grinned back and Katara could see the light had returned to his eyes. His old demeanor was back and he was almost dancing with joy. Her arm started to throb and she clutched it to her side and sluggishly went inside, dragging her feet down the hallway. For some odd reason, her feet led her to Zuko's door; she stood outside it and started at the wood, wondering if she should go in or not. Finally, she decided to go in and turned the knob then pushed open the door with her shoulder. A large hole smoldering, black hole was in the wall. She stared at it in surprise and movement averted her eyes. Iroh was walking from the bathroom holding a wet rag and looking very frustrated, he was mumbling to himself under his breath. When he saw Katara, he jumped in surprise and his face immediately lit up.

"Oh, Katara, you frightened me." He started to whistle happily.

"You're in an awfully good mood." She commented. " What happened there? You get a little angry?" She giggled.

Iroh stopped whistling. "No, Zuko woke up again." He said placidly. "He attacked you r brother."

Katara was floored. "WHAT?!" She threw her good arm up in the air. "Why didn't anybody tell me this?"

Iroh chuckled. "Calm down. Sokka was going to tell you as soon as you felt better."

Katara marched out the door. "SOKKA!"

"Miss Katara! Wait!" Iroh reached out after her but then let her go, chuckling to himself.

Sokka poked his head around the corner, down the steps. "Whatcha yellin' bout?"

Katara walked up to him and stuck a finger in his face. "Why didn't you tell me about Zuko waking up?"

Sokka looked cross-eyed at her finger. "Because, mother, I didn't think it mattered that much."

Katara folded her arms across her chest; carefully making sure the broken one had no pressure on it. "Well….it does."

"Okay. Sorry I didn't tell you." He heard Aang yell his name. "Hold on!"

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well, tell me what Zuko said." She stated as if he should have known.

Sokka sighed. "He sat up and thought I was trying to kill him then he tried to sit up and thought I had hurt him. Then he fired a fireball at me and I ducked, then he passed out on the floor when he tried to stand up. There are you happy?"

Katara nodded

"I don't see why you care about him so much." He added as an after thought.

She started to blush. "I...uh…it's just that…I healed him and I want to know how everything goes."

Sokka shrugged. "What ever you say." And he jogged back out side to help Aang get Appa settled into a stall. Katara went back up the stairs and nudged open the door into Iroh and Zuko's room. Iroh had left, Zuko was breathing differently as he lay there. His breaths were deeper and less ragged, like he was asleep. She touched his arm and his fingers twitched. Katara gasped and looked around outside the room for Iroh but didn't see him. She went back in and ran a hand over his forehead. The muscle in his forearm moved and his fingers curled up.

"Zuko?" She whispered. Again, he moved slightly. "Zuko?" A little more movement this time. She shook his shoulder to see if he would wake up.

"No Uncle. I'm tired." He mumbled.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped. "Zuko, can you hear me?"

"Uncle, go away. You sound sick. Go before I catch it, let me sleep." He waved his hand.

"I'm not Iroh." Katara said.

Zuko's eyes snapped open and her was staring at the face of a gorgeous water bender. He jerked backwards, slightly surprised. "Wha?" He tried to push himself up.

"No! Don't!" She rushed to push him back down.

"Get off!" He struggled. "Filthy water peasant!" He pushed himself up off the bed too fast and his head started to throb and he became dizzy. He clapped a hand to his forehead and staggered on the spot.

"See? You'll only make it worse." She forced him back down with her good arm.

Zuko scowled. "Get your filthy hands off me! What did you do to me? Where's my uncle!" He spat, still clutching his head and now his chest.

Katara tried to calm him down, "Your uncle is fine. He went to cook for the hotel like he does everyday."

"Liar!" He pointed an accusing finger at her but the strain screaming was putting on his bruised chest was getting to him.

"Sh! Stop yelling! You'll only hurt yourself more."

"Stop yelling? I don't think-" He gasped, a sharp pain ran through his chest he squeezed his eyes shut in pain. "Get my Uncle…" He wheezed.

"Iroh is working down in the kitchen. If he comes up here his customers might want to know why they aren't getting their dinner." Katara reasoned.

"So?"

"So, they will ask questions. You do realize you are wanted by the Fire Nation, don't you?"

Zuko shot her a look that shot daggers. A kind of 'Duh.' Look.

"You still haven't tied it together?" Zuko just looked at her. "If the people want to know what's going on, they'll find a way to get their information. One of htem is bound to recognize you, that scar is hard to miss."

Zuko looked away. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Aang lost Appa to the sandbenders so we came here in search of him. We finally got him back by tricking the guards and sneaking into the palace then we-"

"I don't care." He interrupted. "You talk too much." He stared out the window then sat up and looked at his bare, purple chest. "What happened to me?" He demanded.

"Zuko, I really don-"

He wheeled on her. "It's Prince Zuko to you water peasant!"

"You really want me calling you Prince Zuko out loud? When you're wanted by the Fire Nation?" Katara pointed out.

Zuko huffed and stared at her, openly showing his dislike of her. "Just tell me what happened." He mumbled.

"Well…" Katara sat down beside Zuko who at once scooted away from her and gave her a look of disgust. Katara folded her legs up beside her and propped herself up on one arm to tell what had happened. She couldn't go into great detail about when he was hurt because she wasn't there, so she just explained what Iroh had told her. She told about how she and Aang saved his life and his eyes widened in shock.

"Y-you saved me?" He asked. "Again?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah, I guess…"

He was suspicious "Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. You were in need of help and I felt obligated to do so." A pain shot through her arm and she clutched it with a small squeak. "Plus, you were dying." She added as an after thought, acting like her arm wasn't hurting.

Zuko caught the sudden grab at her arm and realized it was in a sling. He hadn't taken the time to really even look at her properly and he hadn't been this close to her for this long, ever. Her eyes were full of pain, her dazzling blue eyes. He was good at reading peoples faces, there was a hint of something else surfacing in her eyes but she seemed to push it back down. He shook his head and then immediately regretted it; throbbing pain pulsed through his head and he tried hiding it.

"I don't nee the help of a tiny waterbending child." He grumbled.

"Uh-huh. And what exactly did you plan to do when you had that severe reaction to the herbs while you were unconscious and your body temperature was so high we could have fried an egg on your skin? What exactly did you plan to do with yourself?"

Zuko frowned and his trademark scowl covered his face. "Get out. I don't need to take this from a peasant."

"I think you should stop calling me a peasant, Zuko. What do you think you are now? Royalty? Nu-uh not anymore. Now you are a peasant just like me. You can't go back to your home, you have nowhere to go, and you're just like me Zuko. Your mother was killed and you never see your father, don't try and deny it. I know the pain you're going through, there's no use keeping it in, trust me I know."

"You know nothing of my pain! Stop acting like you understand because you don't! There is nothing that will equal the pain of knowing your mother was murdered because of you, or knowing your father hates you." Why was he telling her this? She was nothing but a peasant; she had no clue what he was feeling!

Now she does. He just screamed it to her.

"I know what it feels like, because my mother was murdered protecting me, just as yours was." She said somberly.

Zuko stared at her. His chest was pulsing with pain and so was his head. "You can't tell me you know what it's like to be banished by your own father." He had been holding all this up inside and now he was screaming it to a girl he barely knew, and she was his enemy to make it worse. For some odd reason he couldn't stop telling her his past, he wanted to stop but something inside urged him to tell her more.

"Your uncle told me everything. I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for what?" He snapped.

"Sorry that you have to go through all this alone and you don't want anybody to help you." She told him.

"I don't need anybody's help!" He defended.

"I never said you did."

He frowned and felt annoyed at her for telling him this. "Just get out! You are the most aggravating person I have ever met! Leave me alone!" He shouted then clutched his chest because of the pain.

"Is that anyway to thank the person that saved your life?" Katara half-teased.

"Go away!" He backhanded her right on her broken arm. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground clutching her painful arm. She tried to hold back the tears but it was unbearable and they slipped down her cheeks. She looked up at Zuko with teary, hurt eyes and he suddenly felt sadness at her pain and he wanted to make it stop. He felt the urge to kneel beside her and comfort her and for a second his mind flashed back to when she tried to comfort him after Iroh had gotten hurt. He remembered the caring touch on his shoulder and her soft words. His conscience was screaming at him to say sorry or make some effort to comfort her but he just sat on the bed and stared at her, horrified at what he had just done.

He watched her howl in pain and he felt himself kneel beside her and touch her shoulder. Why he was doing it, he had no clue. She looked up at him with those deep blue eyes and he didn't care why he was feeling bad. Their eyes locked and she stopped crying but would sniffle every couple of seconds. The usually steely gold eyes had turned soft and comforting, he looked down at her hurt arm then let his eyes travel up her figure to lock on her deep, almost purple blue eyes. His mouth opened and just as he was going to apologize, Sokka burst into the room looking frantic. He saw Zuko and immediately pulled Katara away from him.

"Get away you monster!" He pushed Katara behind him. "Are you alright?" He asked, not taking his eyes off Zuko.

"I'm fine but-"

"What did he do to you?" He asked, giving Zuko a death glare.

"He hit my arm b-" again, she was cut off. She looked over Sokka's shoulder at Zuko who had pushed himself up and was swaying to stand up. He raised his hands to a fighting stance and she immediately put herself between them. "STOP!"

"Move Katara! I don't want him to hurt you again." Sokka tried to push his sister out of the way. She bent some water from the bathroom and froze his feet to the ground.

"Listen! Zuko didn't hurt me. I…uh…fell when I was getting ready to leave." She stole a quick glance at Zuko who had surprise written all over his face. It was immediately replaced with a frown. Sokka looked from Katara to Zuko and back again.

"Fine! Now let me go!"

"You won't kill Zuko? Or hurt him?"

"No." He mumbled and Katara unfroze the water to be drug out by her brother. Zuko mouthed 'thank you' as she was hauled out the door. He fell back onto his bed and laid spread eagle, thinking about reasons for her to protect him. He had chased them unrelentingly for months and months, almost killing them and she still would help him? His nation had killed her mother, he didn't know about her father but she said she didn't get to see him anymore so he must be fighting in the war. The war with his nation. She has every right in the world to hate him and every right have let him die that night but she didn't. It was weird, nobody had ever cared that mush after he had been so mean to them, except Iroh of course. He didn't know why she would help him but he liked it. He liked that she would try and save him and that she cared.

OOOOOO

"I don't see why you always insist on protecting him. He _is_ the enemy after all."

"I already told you. He is in need although he is too stubborn to admit it." Katara replied, cradling her broken arm as they walked down the steps to the stables. She had insisted on going to see Appa against Sokka wanting her to go lay in bed.

"You say that every time. I don't see why all the sudden you can forgive him for trying to kill us."

"He was hurt and-"

"You feel the need to help, yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. I know, I know." He finished for her.

"I was going to say that he has changed and now that he is wanted by the Fire Nation too, he is beginning to realize that we are people too." Katara retorted.

"And how do you know that for sure?"

"You are so thick!" She punched his shoulder and stormed off into the stables where a happy Appa was groaning with happiness. Aang was sitting on the edge of the stall and Genia was tapping her foot and frowning.

"You're bison is going to eat all my hay!" She whined, stomping her foot. "These are your 'hooligans' take care of them! I can't afford to feed that thing!"

"I know, I know." Katara tried to calm her down. "Aang, how much have you given Appa already?"

"Four bales." He replied. "He's munching on his fifth right now."

"I think he's had enough for today." Katara told him.

He frowned. "I guess you're right." He looked sadly over at Appa.

"C'mon. Let's go eat. Dinner should be ready here soon." Sokka said from beside Genia.

Katara and Aang chuckled as they all headed to the kitchen to find Iroh cooking up a storm. He was banging pots and pans around, frantically working to get his meal finished. He saw the group and pointed at three meals prepared on the table for them. The group sat down to eat when they heard a yell from upstairs.

"That sounded like-" The scream came again.

Iroh stopped in his tracks. "Zuko?" He whispered.

**Me: OMG!! The new Avatar that was on last night ROCKED! I squealed and squeezed my dog so hard she whined, when Sokka and Suki kissed. I was SOOOO happy! That's one of my favorite pairings too!!!! EEE!!! So happy!!!!! In your face Ty Lee x Sokka fans!!! NAH!!!(sticks out tongue)**

**Review please guys! I've got a bad head cold believe it or not so reviews would make me feel much better. My chest is all tight and painful because I've been hacking up my guts from coughing and to make matters worse, I have to sneeze constantly!! It's so annoying! Because I'll have to sneeze, then I think I'm gonna sneeze and it goes away!!! My head is all stuffed up and it hurts really badly so please review guys!! It'll mean a lot!! **

**Oh by the way, I wrote this chapter a looong time ago I just never got around to putting it up sorry…heh..**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow, it has been a reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllly loooong time since I've last updated. I'm really sorry for the wait guys. My computer was down for about two weeks and after it was back up, I had so much school work to do. Then when I did have free time I would get yelled at for being on the computer.But I'm home by myself today so I finally had time to type!!! Yay! Yada yada…anyway. This chapter is longer than the others. It was going to be two separate chapters but I just made it into one big one. So here you go!!! **

Iroh dropped this dish he was holding and it shattered on the floor, Toph let out a frightened squeak and the others jumped. He stood there in shock, wide-eyed then his legs suddenly regained their usefulness and he ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs into his room. Zuko was sprawled on the floor, clutching his head and chest writhing in pain. Iroh stood in the doorway; huffing and puffing then knelt at his nephew's side, tears in his eyes.

"Zuko…" He breathed and somehow managed to lift his nephew into the bed again.

"Uncle…I fell…. I…I wanted…. to see you." He gasped in pain after each word.

Katara and the others arrived in the doorway. "Sh, now hush." Iroh said, placing a finger to his nephew's lips. He then clutched him to his chest and sobbed. The group slipped out and shut the door behind them, and then they walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen to clean up and explain to Genia what had happened. She stood over them like a hawk as they finished their meal and cleaned the mess of broken glass. Genia grumpily finished cooking the meal for the customers and the rest of the group slipped out of the kitchen, a few customers asked if everything was all right because they had heard screams. Katara told them that it was one of the guests practicing their opera singing and that the lady who did it wasn't very good. The customer said that it sounded like a man but what ever and he sat down.

Toph suggested they all get ready for bed but Aang wanted to go check on Appa so Sokka, Toph and Katara all slipped up the stairs and into their own rooms. Katara sat on the bed and didn't feel like going for a shower at the moment, it was just barely getting dark and she knocked next door. Iroh answered looking a surplus of happy and ushered her in, telling her to sit on the bed and he'd go downstairs to make some tea and something to eat.

Katara sat down and faced Zuko. "So, you feeling any better?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked suspiciously.

"What do you think? You don't have to be so rude you know." She retorted.

"I don't have to talk to you, you know." He fell backwards onto his pillow and rolled to face the window.

Katara frowned. "Fine by me." She grumbled. Zuko had a shirt on, one of Iroh's by the look of it and he kept massaging his lower back as if it pained him. Katara watched then stood up and went into the bathroom and turned on the spigot, filling the sink with water. Zuko watched her curiously and she sat down behind him but he didn't face her. She bent the water from the sink and formed a glove around her right hand then placed it on his lower back.

"What are you doing?!" He screeched when he felt her touch.

Katara grinned. "Feel better?"

"What are you talking about?" He scowled.

"Your lower back, does it hurt anymore?" She said as if it were plain as day.

He touched his back. "No." He looked at her warily. "What did you do?"

She held up her broken arm and bent the water around it with her left hand forming the water around it for healing. "I can heal with water. It's a special thing only very good water benders can do." She explained.

He looked at her in disbelief. "That's weird. Why don't you heal your broken arm instead of sniffling around begging for pity?"

Katara felt anger rise up inside her and the water in the sink sloshed up over the edges. Immediately she calmed herself and tried to calmly explain. "You see, I'm right handed so I can only heal with my right hand. Call it a gift, call it a curse." She smiled.

Zuko gawked at her then snapped out of it and rolled over. "What ever."

"You are the most frustrating person I've ever met!" She said and the water again sloshed around in the sink, spilling onto the floor.

"Calm down, you're getting everything wet." He mumbled, his face buried in a pillow.

Katara gritted her teeth and refrained herself from water-whipping him over the back of the head. Instead, she bent the water into a long strand over Zuko breathed on it to make it icy cold then, with a flick of the wrist, she dropped it on him. That got his attention, he shot straight up with a mighty gasp and shot her most vile, evil, disgusted look he could muster and tried to shake the water off his body. The look he gave her shot daggers and maybe a few samurai swords too, Katara laughed and Zuko threw a soaking wet pillow at her.

Iroh, always with the perfect timing, came in the door and was hit with the freezing wet pillow, it having been dodged gracefully by Katara. This caused all the tea to spill on the floor and on his arms and for the sandwiches and sliced moon peaches and various other fruits to crash to the floor. Katara jumped up and started to bend the scalding tea off Iroh who was trying to blow on it from the heat. Then she bent the cold water from the pillow and doused Iroh's arms and chest in it.

He let out a sigh of relief. "What have you two been doing in here?" He looked from a sopping wet Zuko, to the water covering the bathroom floor, and to a completely dry Katara who was grinning, her eyes twinkling.

"This water is freezing!" Zuko grumbled and started to take deep, calming breaths and slowly, a steam started to rise off him. The water was evaporating off his skin, Katara watched in fascination.

"How are you doing that?" She asked.

"I'm evaporating the cold water off my skin. I can raise my temperature at will. Something very few firebenders can do." He smirked.

Iroh chuckled, "Now, what were _you_ doing, Miss Katara?"

"Zuko was being all grumpy and getting on my nerves so I doused him in freezing water so he would come to his senses." Katara told him proudly.

"Girls are crazy…" Zuko muttered under his breath.

Iroh bent down and picked up the fruit and broken china. "Looks like I'm breaking a lot of things today." He smiled and set the dirtied fruit and sandwiches back on the tray and walked back out. "I'll be right back."

Zuko couldn't lie on the bed because it was wet so he moved to Iroh's bed. Katara moved out of his way and he laid down the bed. "Why do you try and protect me from your brother?" He asked, facing the wall.

"Huh?" Katara stared at the back of his head. "Oh, I don't know. It's not like you were exactly in fighting form."

Zuko snorted. "Once I'm able to stand without falling over, I think we'll have a little duel. I'm getting sick of you acting like I'm so weak."

"I never said you were weak. I said that you weren't strong enough to move around yet." She retorted.

"Well, you implied it." He wheezed.

"How does Iroh possibly put up with you?" She threw her arms in the air.

Zuko rolled over and sat up. "He isn't annoying so I don't have to act mean to him." He smiled fiendishly.

Katara frowned. "Me? Annoying? Pfft! As if!"

"Think what you want." He shrugged and lie back down and faced the wall again. They were silent for a couple of minutes then Katara spoke up.

"Am I really annoying?"

Zuko laughed.

"What's so funny?" Katara asked grumpily.

"Nothing. It's just funny is all. If I weren't in such pain, you probably wouldn't be _as_ annoying."

Katara folded her arms over her chest. "Gee, thanks." Again, they were silent for a while. Then Iroh came back in holding a fresh tray of tea and sandwiches, humming to himself.

"Here we go!" He said cheerfully. Katara stood up and ambled towards the door.

"I have things to do." She said and slipped out the door. Iroh turned back to Zuko.

"What's her problem?" He asked, Zuko shrugged and grabbed a sandwich off the tray, stuffing it hungrily into his mouth.

"I'm glad you've given up going after the Avatar." Iroh said happily as he watched his nephew eat.

Zuko paused with a sandwich halfway to his mouth. "What?"

Iroh looked worried. "You have given it up, right?"

"Says who? Why would I give up going after him?" He snapped. "I have to-"

"Zuko! Have you not realized it yet?" Zuko looked puzzled. "You can't go back! No matter if you capture the Avatar or not you will still be imprisoned and possibly killed!"

Zuko frowned. "You don't understand, my father will-"

"He will lock you up in a cell to die! You've let your ambition of "restoring your honor" cloud your view of reality, Zuko! That's your problem, you never want to accept the truth and that's why you are angry all of the time!" Iroh sighed. "Like what happened with your mother."

Zuko knocked the tray of food and tea off the nightstand sending it clattering to the floor. The china smashed on impact and their remnants scattered everywhere. "You know nothing about my mother!"

"Zuko, calm down! You can't be-"

He pointed a finger accusingly. "You told that stupid water tribe girl about my past! You had no right to do that!"

"She only asked me about what you were saying in your sleep while you were unconscious. You talked about your father, your mother and your sister."

Zuko stood up quickly. "I didn't."

Iroh looked sadly at his nephew. "You must have deep scars from the pain you went through after your mother's death and your abandonment by your father."

"My mother isn't dead! She's alive, waiting for me somewhere!" He looked at the ground. "I know she is."

"Zuko." Iroh stood beside his nephew and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have to understand, your father murdered your mother."

Tears welled in Zuko's eyes, clenching his jaw; he tried to hold them back. He struggled against himself for a couple of minutes. "I know." He finally whispered. "I know, she's dead. She's dead because…because…"

"Don't say it, it's not true." Iroh said firmly

He torn away from Iroh and turned his tear-streaked face toward him. "I have to Uncle!" He took a deep breath as all the memories came flooding back.

_Zuko sat in the middle of his bed with the covers pulled up to his chin, afraid of what he had witnessed earlier. Azula leaned against the doorframe with a malicious grin on her face._

"_Dad's gonna kill you." She said in an evil singsong voice as she nonchalantly picked at her fingernails. Then with a smirk she looked up at her brother. "No really, he is." _

"_Liar!" Zuko shouted as his heart skipped a beat._

_Azula shrugged. "Think what you want but I heard the whole thing. Grandfather said, 'You too must feel the pain of losing a first born son by sacrificing your own.'" She deepened her voice add emphasis as she twirled around on Zuko's bed frame._

"_Liar!" He again shouted. _

"_What is going on in here?" Their mother demanded as she entered the room. Her curiosity aroused by Zuko's shouting._

_Azula looked at her innocently. "Nothing." She said as she stood by Zuko's bedside._

_Their mother looked from her son to her daughter and after studying Zuko's horrified face, grabbed Azula's wrist. "C'mon, we need to have a talk." She pulled the girl out of the room and shut the door._

_Zuko's heart pounded wildly and he pulled the blankets of his bed up to his chin. "Azula always lies…Azula always lies…Azula always lies…" He told himself. But what if she wasn't lying this time? What if dad was really going to kill him? Mother would protect him; Dad would never hurt his own son. Dads just don't do that. After this bit of reassurement he fell asleep peacefully._

_His mother woke him up in the middle of the night. A sleepy Zuko rubbed his eyes and sat up, not quite sure was happening. _

_"Zuko, remember, everything I ever did was to keep you safe." _

_Zuko's eyes were bleary and he didn't understand why she was telling him this. _

_"Always remember who you are." Her lips brushed his forehead quickly as heavy footsteps echoed up the hallway. Zuko's head fell forward into his chest then his eyes shut. The next morning's light shone through his room and he jumped out of bed. He was afraid, he had a dream last night where a woman was screaming and all Zuko wanted was to snuggle against his mother. Then he remembered what she had told him in the middle of the night and what Azula had said the day before. _

_He ran out into the courtyard, his heart felt like it might burst out of his chest because it was beating so hard and quick. A tall figure was standing by the turtleduck pond, Zuko smiled at first, thinking it was his mother. But as he got closer he saw that it was his father. _

_"Where is she?" He asked._

_No response._

_A tear slid down Zuko's face. "Where is she?!" _

_No response._

_"Tell me where she is! Where's mom?!"_

"Where is she? Where is she?" He mumbled to himself. "I knew the whole time she was dead. But I couldn't accept that she died." He le tout a small choking sound and Iroh put an arm around Zuko's shoulders.

"It's alright."

Zuko shook his head. "No it's not!" He pushed away from Iroh. "She died because of me! It's my fault she's dead!" He said, then he broke down and started to sob into his hands. "I-I'm sorry mother…I'm sorry…" He cried.

Iroh let a small tear trickle down his own face as he held his nephew to his side. He looked down at his nephew and rested his chin on his head. "It's alright, my son." He said without thinking.

Katara lay on her bed and tried to fall asleep, which was nearly impossible with all the racket from outside. She stood and went over to the window, slamming it shut. Then she flopped back down on her bed, but he sounds from outside still were loud. Angrily she stood up and opened the window, about to shout when she spotted Appa. People were swarming around him and clambering on him like ants on a Popsicle. Katara stared open mouthed out the window at all the people around him, a splash of orange among the sea of green and brown caught her eye.

"Aang! Hey! Aaaang!" She waved at him.

"What?" She called back, finally spotting her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Aang airbent himself up to the window. "All these people heard about Appa and wanted to see him. Sokka is charging money for it too so we can pay for our stay." He grinned happily.

"We aren't leaving yet are we?" She asked.

Aang looked troubled. "Well, we have to get going if I want to defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives at the end of the summer."

Katara frowned. "I don't want to go yet."

"Why?"

Think fast Katara, you can't tell him about Zuko. "I have wanted to see this city for so long, can't we stay another week or so? Then we can make even more money off Appa to buy new supplies and actually stay in a really nice inn."

"What wrong with the supplies we have now?" He questioned.

Katara jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the condition of everybody's backpacks and sleeping bags.

Aang grinned sheepishly. "I guess you're right. I'll tell Sokka." And with that he jumped off the ledge and airbent himself onto Appa then down to Sokka who had a large pack strapped to his front where people were dumping large handfuls of money. Aang told Sokka something who nodded and shouted something to the crowd.

"Score one for Katara." She said to herself as she pushed away from the window.

"What?" Came a voice from behind her.

Katara spun around. "Who? Oh, it's you Toph."

"What were you saying?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing important." Katara was glad that Toph couldn't see the huge grin across her face.

Toph shrugged. "Alright." She plodded over and plopped down on her own bed.

Katara slipped out the door and pressed her ear to Zuko's door. She heard what she thought was sobbing so she backed off and sat against the wall in the hallway.

**Yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking. "Where the hell is the Zutara stuff?!" Please don't hurt me, I promise there will be some in the next chapter. Cross my heart, there will be Zutara fluff in the next chapter. Next chapter will be good, lots of Zutara. I'm really am sooo sorry for not getting this up sooner. But even though you probably hate me right now, please review. They mean so much to me!**

**Thanks a bunch!**

**Peace!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey peeps! This is another long one but there is Zutara in it!! I promise!!! It may not be exactly what you guys wanted but in the next chapter there may be…dare I say it… a kiss!!! Dun dun duuuun… ha ha. But you'll have to wait for a day or so until I can get it typed! **

**REVIEW PLEASE!I NEED THEM!! I NEED THEM OR I'LL EXPLODE!!! That happens to me sometimes….**

Katara lay on her bed and tried to fall asleep, which was nearly impossible with all the racket from outside. She stood and went over to the window, slamming it shut. Then she flopped back down on her bed, but the sounds from outside still were loud. Angrily she stood up and opened the window, about to shout when she spotted Appa. People were swarming around him and clambering on him like ants on a Popsicle. Katara stared open mouthed out the window at all the people around him, until a splash of orange among the sea of green and brown caught her eye.

"Aang! Hey! Aaaang!" She waved at him.

"What?" She called back, finally spotting her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Aang airbent himself up to the window. "All these people heard about Appa and wanted to see him. Sokka is charging money for it too so we can pay for our stay." He grinned happily.

"We aren't leaving yet are we?" She asked.

Aang looked troubled. "Well, we have to get going if I want to defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives at the end of the summer."

Katara frowned. "I don't want to go yet."

"Why?"

_Think fast Katara, you can't tell him about Zuko_. "I have wanted to see this city for so long, can't we stay another week or so? Then we can make even more money off Appa to buy new supplies and actually stay in a really nice inn."

000

Genia was bent over the sink washing dishes. "Someone is dissing my inn again." She said to herself.

000

"What wrong with the supplies we have now?" He questioned.

Katara jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the condition of everybody's backpacks and sleeping bags.

Aang grinned sheepishly. "I guess you're right. I'll tell Sokka." And with that he jumped off the ledge and airbent himself onto Appa then down to Sokka who had a large pack strapped to his front where people were dumping large handfuls of money. Aang told Sokka something, he nodded and shouted something to the crowd.

"Score one for Katara." She said to herself as she pushed away from the window.

"What?" Came a voice from behind her.

Katara spun around. "Who? Oh, it's you Toph."

"What were you saying?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing important." Katara was glad that Toph couldn't see the huge grin across her face.

Toph shrugged. "Alright." She plodded over and plopped down on her own bed.

Katara slipped out the door and pressed her ear to Zuko's door. She heard what she thought was sobbing so she backed off and sat against the wall in the hallway.

A few minutes later, Iroh exited the room with a sad look on his face. He looked at her mournfully, then let out a big sigh. "He's not exactly the happiest person right now." He said as if he knew what she was going to ask.

Katara let concern spread across her face. "Why? Is he alright?"

Iroh looked over his shoulder then back at her. "He is now. Just don't mention family." He told her.

Katara nodded and went inside as Iroh ambled down the hallway.

"Hey." She said timidly.

"Go away." Zuko mumbled from a chair by the window.

Katara sighed. "I wanted to ask you-"

"What part of go away did you not understand?" He snapped his voice still a little shaky.

She ignored his question. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to take a walk or something." She rubbed her arm, which was mending quickly thanks to her ability to heal with water.

He turned and looked at her. "Why?"

She shrugged, "Just thought you might need some fresh air, you've been in here for a couple of days."

He looked hard at her. "What would we do?"

_All these questions! _She thought, _But, maybe he's actually considering coming?_

"Maybe go to a couple of shops or something. I don't know."

"Why not go with the Avatar-"

"He has a name. It's Aang." She interrupted

He almost smiled. "Why don't you go with…Aang." He said 'Aang' as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Or your brother or the blind girl?"

Katara's eyes fell. "Well…I just thought…since…you are always with Iroh, you might want to spend time with someone your own age…or close anyway."

Zuko's face softened then it turned stony just as quickly. "Well, I guess. I know you'll just some back later to bother me so I might as well go and save me the headache of listening to you whine."

Katara grinned and was sure she saw a smirk flicker across his face. Zuko pushed himself up out of the chair and wheezed slightly from his broken ribs. Katara walked over to help him but he just waved her away and she stood beside him while he grabbed a shirt and pulled it on over his head. His hair was much longer than it had been when she'd seen him after Iroh was hurt by Azula. She looked at him with pure concern written across her face, Zuko turned and looked at her questionably.

"What?"

Katara snapped out of it, and shook her head a little. "Oh, nothing."

He looked at her like he didn't exactly believe her but he didn't say anything. Katara showed him where the kitchen was and where everything was located then they headed outside. Zuko blinked his eyes a few times until they adjusted to the bright sunlight. Sokka was dozing on a pile of hay while Aang drew on his face with a marker, Momo and Appa were nowhere in sight, most likely in the stable. Aang saw her and his face seemed to fall slightly but he kept drawing the mustache on Sokka's face.

"So where are you taking me?" Zuko asked, looking around.

"I don't know, I suppose we could just wander."

He shook his head. "You brought me out here to 'wander'?"

"Yeah, so?" A man bumped into her. "Excuse me."

He snorted. "I don't 'wander' I want to know exactly where I'm going."

_That's the fire bender talking._ She thought.

"Maybe you should try it sometime, it gives you time to think and time to relax."

"And what exactly do you think I'm doing right now?" He added smartly.

Katara shot him a glare.

Up ahead, music was playing and a hog-monkey was dancing and tipping its hat to passerby while an old Earth Kingdom man was sitting against the wall, barely clothed.

"Oh look at the hog-monkey!" She exclaimed.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "So?"

"I think I'll give it some money, the man needs it and the monkey can perform very well." Katara dug in her knapsack for her money pouch. "I can't find my money!"

Zuko pulled his hand from behind his back. "Looking for this?" He tossed it up in the air and caught it a few times.

The water bender was baffled. "How did you…?" She snatched it from him.

"Lots of practice." He again almost grinned. Katara gave the man a gold piece and then they continued on their way. Zuko was pushing his way through the crowd behind the young water bender when he felt something grip his wrist. Looking down he saw the sharp contrast of heavily tanned skin against his paler skin. The hand was attached to Katara who had grabbed his wrist so not to lose him in the crowd; Zuko didn't like it but allowed himself to dragged around…for her sake.

They managed to get out of the big crowds and entered the nicer part of town. Ladies with long, hand sewn dresses and heavily jeweled fingers looked in the windows of shops while their children played in the street and romped with each other. Men would be in pubs drinking and singing war songs, and the younger men would be walking hand-in-hand with their beautiful girlfriends. Zuko felt a little uncomfortable when they passed such a pair and was relieved when they finally stopped at a shop.

"You can wait out here, I just want to check something out." Katara told him.

Zuko grunted in response, happy that he didn't have to go inside.

Katara walked inside and marveled at the different kinds of fancy jewelry and gorgeous dresses hanging about. Strings of shining, colored beads hung from the ceiling and the smell of roses and moon peaches wafted through the air. Katara mused through the store, stopping every so often to check the price on a dress then moving on. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled one off the hooks. It was a white around the top and slowly darkens into a powdery blue and then into a cerulean blue nearing the bottom.

A few minutes later Katara came out shyly. "I think I'll buy this." She said to the store clerk.

"Oh, it fits you beautifully! What's the occasion?"

Katara twirled around in the dress, "My mother's wedding dress looked like this." She frowned.

"I'm sure she was just as beautiful as you look now." The clerk said.

"Thank you." She smiled. Men that were in the store looking at dresses with their girlfriends stopped and stared at Katara. One girl squealed and hit her husband, which caught Zuko's attention outside.

His jaw almost hit the floor when he peeked through the store door. Katara looked absolutely beautiful. The dress hugged all her curves and the front dipped into a little 'V' but not too deep. It reached a little above her ankles and angled off to flare out slightly on the right side. Behind her it was open backed to her lower back where the dress came back together. Her shoulders were bare, the dress being a halter topped one. The fabric glittered along with the shining sequins when she twirled around to go back into the changing room. It wasn't like Zuko hadn't seen a girl in a dress before, but not since he was about 13 and he had to admit that she was even more beautiful then any of the Fire Nation girls. He caught himself wondering what the dress would look like in red and mentally slapped himself for it.

Katara came out of the store with a bag and a slightly lighter money pouch. "Where to next?"

"I don't know, you tell me." He replied.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing, I just thought we were wandering." He retorted.

Katara shook her head. "You have problems."

Zuko frowned. " You have no idea." He said distantly.

Katara scrunched her eyebrows together, "What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Please?"

"No."

Katara sighed. "You don't talk much do you?"

"No." His lip quivered in an attempt to smile.

Her eyes widened. "Did you almost…smile?"

"No."

"I think you did. Now, we need a drum roll." She said teasingly. "And after wards we'll take a picture and it will go down in history as the first time I've seen you smile. Well, conscious."

Zuko stopped. "What?"

She stopped beside him. "When you were unconscious…I sort of took care of you. And one day you started to hallucinate, you thought I was…um…" She blushed a little bit.

"Well…tell me."

"You thought I was an angel, and you said how pretty you thought I was and stuff. Then you thought I was your mother and you kept saying how you were sorry and you didn't want to stay with your father because he would hurt you or something."

Zuko lowered his eyes to the ground.

"After that you thought I was Azula for a while, then you thought I was your mother and after that you passed out again."

"Anything else happen?"

"Well, you attacked Sokka one day I don't know if you remember that. You were fully conscious then though."

Zuko's mood lightened. "Is that why he hates me so much."

"Nah, he just hates you because you chased us relentlessly for like five months and tried to kill us with giant fire bombs. Oh and you knocked me unconscious when we were at the North Pole. That's probably why he hates you the most, because you hurt me, he's really protective when it comes to stuff like that."

Zuko frowned. "I guess, you have a lot of reasons to hate me."

Katara nodded, "Yeah, but for some reason I don't hate you. I did for a while but after seeing you so helpless, I realized that you are exactly like me. No home, mother gone, only one family member to stay with you, it's hard. So I figured that you can't be too bad."

He grinned, "I'm glad that I've found one other person who doesn't hate me."

They walked in silence for a while until the sounds of music and smells of food reached them.

_She's a pretty girl_

_She's always falling down_

_And I think I just fell in love with her_

_But she won't ever remember_

_Remember…_

"I wonder what's going on?" Katara said to herself more than Zuko.

He just grunted.

They pushed through a crowd of people and finally got to where they could see…sorta. There was a band playing and various people were dancing to the music. Zuko and Katara pushed through the crowd to the front of the crowd. The music wasn't very loud and it was easy to talk without having to scream.

"Zuko, Iroh told me about your mother and I'm really sorry."

He sighed. "I know he told me."

"And you're alright with me knowing?" She asked, surprised.

"Well, yeah. Now that I know you don't hate me." He grinned.

"My mother was killed by the Fire Nation." Her eyes filled with tears.

Zuko's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." His memory flashed back to when the war first started. The attack on the South Pole was the one they were bragging about that night so many years ago.

_So please take me far away_

_Before I melt into the ground_

_And all my words get used against me"_

_You sad and lonely girl_

Katara sniffled. "It still hurts even though it was so long ago."

"I guess that's another thing we have in common." He said somewhat compassionately.

_Quit crying your eyes out_

_Quit crying your eyes out and baby c'mon_

_Isn't there something familiar about me?_

"Yeah." Katara wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I feel so vulnerable when I cry." She sniffled.

_The past is only the future with the lights on_

_Quit crying your eyes out baby_

The song ended and a slower song started. Various pairs came together making Katara hope that Zuko would ask her to dance, which then made her wonder why she was wishing he'd dance with her. Various pairs around them gradually clung together moving in small circles.

A new singer got up and started.

_This time, this place_

_Misused, Mistakes_

_Too long, too late_

_Who was I to make you wait?_

_Just one chance, just one breath_

_Just in case there's just one left_

'_Cause you know, you know you know_

_I love you, I've loved all along_

_And I miss you, been far away for far too long,_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me._

_And you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

A couple bumped into Katara sending her into Zuko's arms. He looked mildly surprised at first but then just held on to her.

"You're clumsy, you know that?"

She grinned, "I was pushed."

"Uh huh, right." He smirked.

Katara put her arms on his shoulders, "Shall we dance?"

Zuko pulled away. "I don't dance." He muttered and pushed through the crowd trying to get out. A very ugly young woman came up to Zuko and asked if she wanted to dance. Repulsed, he said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm here with someone."

"Oh really?" The young woman turned her awkwardly beaked nose toward where a very hurt Katara was standing. "That girl over there?"

Zuko who was staring at the oddly formed nose took a couple of seconds to respond. "Oh, yeah, yeah her." He said after mentally slapping himself…again.

"Well, dance with her! Or I'll dance with you whether you like it or not!" The ugly girl said with a smile, showing rows of not-so-white, crooked teeth.

Zuko jumped back and was by Katara in an instant.

_On my knees, I'll ask_

_Last chance for one last dance_

'_Cause with you, I'd withstand_

_All of it to hold your hand_

_And give it all, and give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up._

Katara looked upset as Zuko came up to her. He rubbed his arm with the other. "Do you want to dance?" He asked without looking at her.

Katara smiled. "Sure." She put her arms up on his shoulders and he placed his hands on her tiny waist. They moved slowly in a circle to the music.

'_Cause you know, you know, you know_

_I love you, I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you, been far away for far too long,_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me._

_And you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

_So far away,_

_Been far away for far too long_

_So far away,_

_Been far away for far too long_

_But you know, you know you know_

"What made you come back and dance with me?" She asked.

Zuko sighed and looked around, not spotting Beaky, he told her about the big nosed girl.

"Oh." Katara looked hurt, again. She lowered her eyes and stared at other couples.

'_I did it again!'_ Zuko though to himself, '_either this girl is sensitive, or I'm just mean. I just told her what happened, and she gets all upset! Girls really are crazy!'_

Katara looked up at him with her giant, deep blue orbs called eyes. "You don't have to do this you know."

Zuko let out a sigh, "I know, but I kinda like it."

Katara smirked. "Pervert." She quipped.

"What?!" Zuko blushed a little. "N-no I didn't mean it that way! I just meant that I-" What did he mean? The words had slipped from his mouth before he knew what he was saying.

Katara placed her fingers to his lips. "Calm down, I know what you meant."

_I wanted, I wanted you to stay_

_Cause I needed, I need to hear you say_

_I love you, I've loved you all along_

_And I forgive you, _

_For being away for far too long_

He quickly shut his mouth as a shiver was sent through his body. He hoped to God she didn't feel it. He felt himself being drawn to this girl, this exact opposite of himself. They were alike though, in a different way, different but the same. He felt comfortable with her, unlike all the others Fire Nation girls who were giggly and loud and very (uh…well the term isn't appropriate for this story, but you get the point.) She pulled herself a little closer to him and stared up at him, they were like that for a couple lines of the song then Katara lifted a hand and touched his scar.

Zuko blinked a couple of times but allowed her to touch him. Katara's touch was soft, like a feather on his skin except that it didn't tickle. Zuko was feeling so out of character; he wondered what had happened to his old self. The mean, nasty, self-absorbed, hot-headed 16 year old who want nothing more than to be respected by the world. Katara was wondering the same thing as she looked up at him, their eyes locked.

_So keep breathing, cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it, hold on to me never let me go._

_Keep breathing_

_Hold on to me never let me go_

_Keep breathing_

_Hold on to me never let me go_

The song finished and another more upbeat one started. Katara and Zuko parted and pushed their way out of the crowd. It was getting really dark now and they needed to get back. They headed down the street, walking closer than they had on the way here. Katara stopped in another store and got clothes for Zuko.

"Shouldn't I try them on?" He asked.

"No, they'll fit."

"But I like them kind of loose around the shoulders and-" He started.   
Katara smiled at him. "Trust me, they'll fit. Have you forgotten that I live with two other boys?"

**Hope you liked it!!! Sorry about the abrupt ending, but I would have kept going and it would have been like, 11 pages! So I decided to stop here. **

**The first song was Baby Come on, by Plus 44 and the second was Far Away by Nickelback.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey peeps! This didn't take me as long as I thought it would to post. Yay me! This is a good one and I had one of my friends read over it for me (I had homework, yeah I know , bad excuse) and they pointed out a few mistakes. I know I had some in the last chapter but I fixed all of them thanks to the Eagle Eye of Lady Dragonfly. (lol! It rhymed!) But anyway, if you see any mistakes, BE SURE TO TELL ME!!! I went over it with spell check but we all know how reliable that is…. **

**I haven't done the little mini thing at the beginning for a long time but it will most likely be at the bottom of this one. I should start it on the next chapter too. **

**Don't let me explode! I need reviews!!!!**

**I'm up to..what? 137? 140? Something like that. I want you guys to know, I really REALLY appreciate all the support you've given me. I mean REALLY REALLY!!!! So thanks again!!!! (tosses out cookies and Poptarts)**

**000000**

"Are you sure she was with him?" Sokka asked, frantic.

" For the billionth time, YES!" Aang said grumpily.

"Somebody's a little grumpy." Toph commented, picking at her fingernails.

Sokka paced the room back and forth. "What if he kills her? Or holds her ransom? Or-" His eyes widened.

Toph sat on the floor and played with Momo. "She'll be fine, Katara is strong."

Sokka and Aang sighed.

"Besides, she saved his life, he isn't going to kill her for that. Zuko's different than other firebenders, he's got a conscience, and he's been through a lot from what Katara told me."

The boys looked at each other. "WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU!?"

Toph snorted, "Like I'm gonna tell you."

Sokka's hand froze halfway to her face and her flexed his fingers menacingly. "Tell me!"

"I'm blind idiot, I can't see if you are trying to look threatening." She said.

The young warrior shook his head and grumbled something under his breath.

"Bit of a potty mouth aren't we?" Commented Toph.

Sokka looked surprised, "You heard that?"

"Being blind isn't as bad as you think."

Sokka stalked off.

"Toph, I'm sorry about the other day. About how you said I followed Katara around…and stuff…" He lowered his eyes.

The Earthbender frowned. "Yeah, well."

"I do like you…it's just…"

"What? I'm not girly enough? Well here's some news for you bud," She jabbed a finger into his chest. "I'm not going to change for anybody. Ever! I'm my own person and I'll do what I want!" She turned on her heel and marched out the door.

Aang sighed, "Toph come back! I wasn't going to say that." He followed her outside. "Toph!"

She spun around, "What?" She hissed.

"I'm sorry. I know it must've been hard for you when you had no friends, and you were stuck inside all the time."

Toph sighed, "No you don't, you have no clue what it was like for me. I was alone everyday of my life, I had nobody to talk to, nobody to laugh with, nobody to love…"

Aang's eyebrows went up. "What about your parents?"

"Sometimes it's possible to be loved too much." She started around back of the hotel.

He followed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it isn't exactly like you did anything." She said. Aang frowned and Toph could sense something changed inside him. "Did you?"

"I was gone…for a hundred years…all the damage, all the pain, it's my fault. I should've been around to save lives. Because of the danger, your parents hid you from the world, trying to keep you safe. If I would have been there, I could have stopped it." He sat on the ground.

She sighed and sat beside him. "Aang, sometimes things happens and you can't do anything about it, you just have to go with the flow and try to make things better."

He looked up. "I didn't know you were so poetic." He grinned.

Toph punched him in the arm, knocking him over. "Shut up, I have a heart." She sounded serious but she was smiling.

Aang leaned back against the wall of the hotel. "Go with the flow." He muttered to himself. Yes he had made a joke about it, but for some reason, it really stuck. The words had a lot of meaning in them; it was just funny that Toph had said it. Aang let a smile spread across his face and he chuckled a little.

"What are you laughing at Twinkle Toes?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about when we had first met, and how much you didn't like me."

"Who says I like you now?" She grunted.

Aang grinned devilishly and he folded his arms behind his head. "Ladies can't keep their eyes off me."

"I can."

"True, but I have like, a glow. It radiates off me and pulls them in." He grinned at her smugly.

Toph punched him in the stomach.

"Oomph!" He clutched his stomach. "What was that for?"

She put on her best, I'm-too-innocent-to-have-done-something voice, "I guess my fist was just attracted to you." She grinned innocently.

"I told you."

Toph rolled her eyes, "You have been hanging out with Sokka too much."

Aang rubbed his stomach. "Probably." He stared at the sky, "I wonder where Katara is? It's been nearly two hours. Maybe I should go look for her."

Toph sighed impatiently, "Just wait, she'll be back. Look! There she is!" She pointed towards the left.

Aang's head snapped in that direction, there was nobody there. He turned back to her with a disgusted look on his face. "Do you have to do that?"

Toph shrugged.

"Maybe I'll wait until dark, then I'll go find her." He said rubbing on arm.

**000000**

"How could I forget?" He frowned.

Katara looked worried, "What does that mean?"

"It means, there is no way I could forget." He huffed.

Katara shook her head. "Whatever, I don't know why to have to put that wall up around yourself."

"Wall?" He looked confused.

"Yeah you know, the one you put up to keep everybody out. The one made of spite and hate, the one that I can't seem to get through, the one keeping me from getting closer to you-"

_Whoa! Wait a second! What did I just say?! Hopping Hog monkeys! What am I thinking?_

Zuko's eyebrows lifted. "Uh…"

Katara blushed furiously, and turned away from him. She walked quickly away, holding a hand on her face. She wanted to cry, but he would think she was just a baby so the tears were held back. There was a small grassy hill with a fountain in the shape of the Earth Symbol. Water poured out of the top and trickled quietly down the sides of the bronze and back into the pool of water. Katara walked up the cement path and sat on the edge of the pool. She looked up at the sky and drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly, the heat started to leave her face and she calmed.

"What was I thinking?" She asked herself, her heart stilling beating quickly. Stars were starting to pierce the darkening sky and streetlamps were lit. Fireflies danced around the little hill, their little dances were unrefined and quick, yet graceful and entertaining.

"What was I thinking?" she asked herself again, and then she looked at the stars. "What is wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?" She asked them.

Silence. Only the crickets answered with their little songs.

She sighed, she sat in the grass and propped her back against the cement fountain. A cricket jumped onto her hand. "Cricket, I think I'm getting feelings for the bad guy. Is it so bad after he's changed? Fire and Water, we're as much opposites as we could possibly be and the feelings aren't mutual, he's so hard to read. What do I do?" She asked the tiny bug. It chirped at her then hopped away.

"Talking to a cricket?" Came a voice from behind her.

**000000**

Aang and Sokka paced the room nervously. "She should've been back by now."

"Where is that girl?" Sokka grunted.

Toph began to get worried, even after all the stuff Katara had told her. "Maybe a little longer?" She suggested.

"NO! We've waited long enough! If something has happened, I'll never forgive myself." Sokka shouted, he went over and walked outside, then headed down the street. Toph and Aang followed. They all split up, searching in different directions for Katara, even Momo flew off. Well, he might have just flown off because he can.

**000000**

Katara whirled around. Standing behind her, leaning against a tree was none other than…

"Zuko?"

He said nothing.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, shocked he'd followed her.

He shrugged. "I followed you."

"Well, how long have you been there?" she asked, praying that it wasn't long.

He just stared at her. "The whole thing almost."

Katara's face turned red again. "Oh…"

_CRAP!!!!!!,_ was the only thing that popped into her mind.

"Did you really mean all of that?" He asked, his mind started racing and his heart too.

_LIE!!!_ Katara thought, but before she could react, "Yes."

_Double crap!_

Zuko stood in front of her, only about a foot away. His mouth kind of drooped on one side, and he looked really, REALLY shocked. "You-you really like me? That much?"

Katara nodded. "I know that you don't feel the same way and you don't have to," she lowered her eyes and moved her hands around while she talked, clearly flustered, "I'm not sure why I like you, because we're so different-" She was cut off. Zuko tilted her chin up to his face and looked hard at her. Then, he kissed her softly. So softly, Katara didn't realize what was going on at first and just stared. He broke away and looked down at her.

"What was that for?" Katara asked.

Zuko frowned. "I don't know, I didn't mean to…it just happened."

"Oh…" She replied, just looking at him. Her heart was beating frantically within her, so hard she was sure he could hear it.

He pulled away from her and headed back down the hill. Part of him wanted desperately to kiss her again but he kept going, he needed to think for a while.

"Wa-wait! Zuko!" Katara called. "Where are you going?"

Zuko stopped, his back to her. "Back."

"Um, can I come?"

His back stiffened, _say no._

"I guess."

_So much for being alone to think._

**000000**

"Katara!!!" Sokka called, cupping his hand by his mouth to make his call louder. HE walked through the street calling for her. Then he spotted a flash of blue. Pushing excitedly through the crowd, it turned out to be a banner on the ground. Frowning, he kept walking.

"Katara!" he called again but there no response except from the people around him covering their ears with their hands then shooting him a dirty glance, or showing him a rude hand gesture. Unfazed, he pressed on.

**000000**

Toph ambled down the street then stopped. "Even if I was close to her, I wouldn't be able to really tell, so what' the point?" She asked herself. She kicked the ground in frustration, sending a large piece of rock to jut out of the ground and scare passerby. Then the Earthbender turned on her heel and marched back to the hotel where she sat on the single, slab of rock in front of the door.

**000000**

Aang flew overhead, scanning the streets determinedly. Every time he thought he saw a flash of blue, he'd swoop down for a closer look but it was never who he sought, and he's sweep backup into the sky. He had to fly lower and lower because of the darkening night, eventually, he thought it was just better to walk and save himself the trouble of crashing into chimneys and steeples. As he walked along, he felt tears tug at his eyes at the thought pf never seeing Katara again. He heard the trickle of a fountain and went to check it out. Then he heard someone mumbling to somebody else, just as he left to walk away, he recognized it as Katara's voice. Quietly, he tiptoed up through patch of trees surrounding the little hill until he could see clearly.

She seemed to be talking to herself; he looked closer and saw a tiny cricket on her hand. He stifled a laugh and was about to show himself when someone spoke to Katara.

Out of the shadow of a tree a man emerged, every fiber of Aang's being was ready to strike should the man hurt her. Katara seemed to recognize the man and stood up. They started talking loud enough for Aang to make out their conversation.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked the stranger.

He shrugged. "I followed you."

"Well, how long have you been there?" she asked, sounding a little uneasy.

He just stared at her. "The whole thing almost."

"Oh…" Aang couldn't really see her because of the fading darkness but he felt like she blushed when she said this.

"Did you really mean all of that?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

_All of what?_ Aang thought, and leaned in closer.

"Yes."

"You-you really like me? That much?" He sounded beyond surprised. If Aang could see his face he was sure it would be kind of slack.

_WHAAAAAT?!?!?! _Aang screamed in his head.

Katara nodded. "I know that you don't feel the same way and you don't have to," she moved her hands around while she talked, clearly flustered, "I'm not sure why I like you, because we're so different-" She was cut off. The boy stepped in close tilted her chin up to his face and looked hard at her. Then, he kissed her.

Aang felt his heart shatter into itty-bitty, teeny-weeny, miniscule fragments. He stood, his feet planted on the ground. Everything felt too heavy to move, and tears stung at his eyes. A tear slipped down his cheek, as he stared, as much as he wanted to turn away he couldn't. He just stood there, burning the moment into his soul, painfully.

"What was that for?" Katara asked, sounding surprised.

The boy frowned. "I don't know, I didn't mean to…it just happened."

"Oh…" She replied, just looking at him.

The boy turned and headed away from her. Katara stood there in a daze then ran after him.

"Wa-wait! Zuko!" Katara called. "Where are you going?"

_ZUKO!?!?!_ Aang's mind raced, he jumped up and ran to a tree that was closer to them. "Zuko?" He whispered, "She kissed…him?"

Zuko stopped, his back to her. "Back."

"Um, can I walk with you?"

"I guess."

Aang watched her trot happily up to his side and walk with him. Aang slid down the tree he was leaning against and crumpled into a little heap at the bottom. He felt angry and broken and upset all at the same time. _It was bad enough she had kissed another guy but Zuko? He's supposed to be the enemy! _He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. Tears of anger and heartbreak welled in his eyes, silently slipping down his cheeks and dripping onto his knees. He felt like the itty-bitty, teeny-weeny, miniscule fragments of his shattered heart had been crushed into a fine powder then burned. (A/N: A bit of irony there, eh?) He sat there for about twenty minutes, rolling in self-pity, then he stood.

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to think she would like me at all." He scolded himself, "I was dumb, and she's too beautiful to even look at someone like me. I was an idiot." He plodded up the street, thinking about all the mean things he had said to her while Appa was missing, and how he wished he could take them back. "Then maybe she'd love me." The gate to the stable was unlatched and swinging lazily on it's hinges. Aang went around to shut it and just as he did, a blue hem disappeared inside. Anger surged through him and jumped the gate and stormed inside, he heard faint mumbling from inside Katara's room then heard her giggle.

"Stop it!" She laughed.

Steam almost whistled from Aang's ears as blood rushed to his face and adrenaline pumped through his veins.

"No one is here right?" Drifted to Aang, he threw open the door and raged in.

**000000**

Katara and Zuko had walked in silence the whole way back. She became uneasy and started to doubt the kiss had even happened. In her mind she made excuses for their lips meeting, "He had tripped." Or "He has narcolepsy, and he fell asleep for a second." She made up the wildest excuses and frowned the whole walk back.

Zuko wasn't in any better of a mood except he KNEW he had kissed her and he had meant to but…Why? He couldn't remember what he thought or anything. Something in the back of his mind just urged him to do it until he did. Just like when he had hurt Katara, he never would have cared before but that time he involuntarily comforted her. He comforted her! Suddenly, he was hit with a bad headache and he didn't feel like himself, it was like somebody else was taking his mind. He clapped a hand to his forehead but as suddenly as the headache came, it was gone and he was left standing there with a hand on his head and wondering what the heck had just happened.

Katara glanced over at him then looked down at her feet, she didn't say anything but a small grin pressed at her lips. Zuko turned and saw her.

"What are grinning about?" He asked gruffly, a little too gruffly.

Katara suppressed it quickly. "Nothing." She turned her head away.

Zuko was unconvinced. Bt didn't say anything. They were now at the hotel but the front door was locked so they went around back. Katara reached for the door but Zuko grabbed her hand.

She looked scared, "What?"

"You never answered me, what were you grinning about?"

Katara blushed, "Nothing."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah right. Tell me."

She took a deep breath. "You really want to know?"

Zuko shrugged. "Whatever."

"This." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the mouth.

Zuko was in the process of rolling his eyes when she kissed him so he didn't see it coming or else he would have drawn away. His eyes widened and he looked down at her hair.

_Her hair smells so good_. Was the only thing running through his mind. Strangely it wasn't, _Get Away!_ or _What the hell?_ It was about her hair.

Katara pulled away and they stood in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say.

"Um….er…it's kind of…uh…cold…maybe we should go inside." Zuko said and opened the door for himself, and walked inside. He held it open, "You coming?" He asked.

Katara shook her head. "Nah, I'm gonna stand out here for a little while."

Zuko shrugged and went inside. Katara waited until she was sure she heard his room door slam then she squealed with happiness but also screamed with confusion. She had already come to the conclusion that she liked Zuko a little bit but she still felt confused. There was a small tie to Aang and she felt like she was being unfair to him, Katara already knew Aang liked her. She'd known it for a while but she didn't want to face it, because she was afraid of breaking his heart. Shaking her head she opened the door and slipped up the stairs quickly then entered her room. Toph was lying on her bed by the window and sat up quickly as Katara entered.

"Was that you I heard squeal?" She asked.

Never beats around the bush does she? Katara thought.

"Well…" She told Toph about everything that had happened during the evening, the shopping, and the dancing, then finally….

"WHAT?!" Toph exclaimed. "You kissed him?!"

Katara pressed a finger to her lips, "SHHH! What if Sokka hears?"

Toph waved a hand at her, "Oh they're gone. They went looking for you."

"What?"

"Don't worry, they'll be back soon. So what was it like?" Toph asked slyly.

Katara blushed. "What?"

She puckered her lips and made kissing noises.

"Stop it!" Katara giggled.

Toph continued to make the face.

"Okay, okay. No one is here right?" She asked.

"Aang's outside the door now." Right as she said that, the door flung wide open and scared both the girls so bad they fell backwards off the bed.

"Katara!" He screamed.

**Me: Bwaa ha ha! Cliffhanger!!!! (laughs manaically)**

**Katara: Aw, that's mean!(hits me)**

**Sokka: Nah, it keeps them interested.**

**Katara: It's mean!!!! (hits him)**

**Sokka: (Rubs head) Okay, it's mean. Jessi, you're mean!**

**Me: (still laughing)**

**Zuko: (mocking) Yeah, you're mean Jessi!**

**Katara: (glare)**

**Me: I'm mean? You're the one who was all-nice in the season finale, it was scary mind you, then you went all evil after Katara offered to heal your scar!!!! What is wrong with you?!?!**

**Zuko: (grin) It's in the script. I do as they command me.**

**Me: You are an idiot!!!!(beats him with a large crowbar)**

**Zuko: (cowers) Where'd you get that anyway?!**

**Me: Hmmm...(looks at it) You know...I really have no clue...(tosses it aside and continues laughing evilly)**

**Okay, I absolutely HATED the season finale!!!! Toph all the sudden realizes she can bend metal; Aang leaves b/c of a vision of Katara getting hurt; Sokka leaves b/c Aang had a vision; Katara freaks out b/c she sees Zuko and Iroh, then gets captured by Azula and put in a cave; Zuko acts all nice, too nice, so nice it's scary, then he gets captured by Azula after trying to act noble, and thrown in the cave with Katara; Aang and Iroh save them then a fight breaks out; Everybody fights and Katara kicks Azula's ass; Zuko stops the fight between Azula and Katara; Aang goes into the Avatar State and gets killed by Azula's crazy lightning; Katara brings him back to life…..WTF!?!?! It was INSANE!!!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!! (runs in circles)**

**Okay, ranting over. **

**Leave a review and I'll get back to ya!!**

**Peace!!**


	15. Deleted Scene no1 SxY

**Only in my Dreams**

**Will I Let her Go**

**SokkaxYue**

**A short story to keep you guys satisfied until I can get the next chapter of OimD up. It's kind of a deleted scene type of thingy. I may do more but they won't be sad like this. It's not as sad as I wanted it to be but if you picture it in your head, it's really sad. (to me at least) Again, I'm REALLY sorry that I haven't had time to update the next chapter**

**-:cowers from people with torches and pitchforks:- **

**But I really am sorry. I've just been trying to brush up on my drawing skills and improve my grades at school. Softball has started as well so I only have time to work on this on the weekends. Even then I end up having Softball games and if there's not a game, I have friends over or I'm just too tired to do anything! Yeah those are still bad excuses and not enough since I've not updated since…..forever. **

**Please bear with me a little longer until I can finish revising past chapters n' stuff. **

**So, without further ado, here it is!!**

A scream ripped from his chest and the boy shot into a sitting position. Panting heavily he stared wildly at his surroundings. Cold sweat was starting to bead on his forehead and he wiped it away with his sleeve. He placed a hand on his chest to try and slow his frantic breathing but with no avail.

"It was just a dream…" The young teen mumbled to himself as he pulled a knee up to his chest.

"Sokka?" Came a tiny voice. "Are you alright?" A young blue-eyed girl asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, it….was…just a bad dream."

Katara looked at him sympathetically, "Do you want to ta-"

"No." He interrupted.

Katara was taken aback, "A-are you-"

"Yes! I'm fine!" Sokka snapped then jumped up. "Just….go back to sleep!" He fumed and stomped off.

The young waterbender stared after him, dumbstruck at what her brother had just done. Deciding not to dwell on it, she lay back down. "Alright."

The trees swayed with a breeze, the young warrior walked away from the camp, hands shoved into his pockets. His dream was less of a dream and more of a memory, or, a collection of memories to be exact. The clouds parted and the light of a full moon covered him, but with it, came a pang of sadness in the young boy's heart.

With a heavy sigh, he threw himself down on the ground. It was about her, about Yue. Although he'd just had a dream, a memory, it had seemed so real, so close. The smell of her hair and the texture of her clothes…all so real.

Memories flashed through his mind like a movie. The first time he'd seen her, when she asked him to meet her on the bridge that night, the time she kissed him- the moment she'd been called to be the moon spirit… Sokka looked at his hands in disgust.

"She's dead." Said he, slapping the hands to his head. "She's friggin' gone and I shouldn't have these dreams." Tears slipped down his face. "She's gone!" He screamed at the sky.

A cloud covered the moon and cast him into silvery darkness. The grass swayed all around him, like ripples in a pond, as a breeze blew through.

"I should have protected her. I loved her. It's…" He didn't finish his sentence; a whisper had come from nearby. Standing, he squinted into the darkness and wiped his face. "Who's there?" His ears strained for even the slightest hint of a sound.

For a few minutes, he stood quietly as the breeze picked up again. He knew that something was whispering, it was trying to communicate with someone and he wanted to know who it was and why they were whispering. The faint whisper came with every breeze, which came more frequency and greater strength with each passing minute.

Sokka walked forward through the meadow peering into the shadows for any hint of movement. But there was none. Nothing moved except the grass that swayed with the wind. Nothing made a sound except the faint breath that grew in volume with each breeze. When the next breeze came he closed his eyes and opened all his senses, trying to derive words from the faded whisper.

_Sokka…_

His eyes snapped open and he wheeled wildly around to his left, striking out with a fist. When his fist connected with nothing, he strove madly to find whoever had said his name.

"Who's there?" he shouted, spinning around, every fiber of his being was ready to fight or flee. Which ever it came to, he wasn't going to hesitate on making a decision.

_That time it was so close, so clear, I could swear someone was whispering it into my ear. _He thought, heart pounding wildly. (A/N: It rhymed! Ack, I hate that.)

All around him was forest but it was barely discernable from the landscape -especially at night. He stared around at his surroundings. There were no moving shadows, no creeping critters.

Nothing.

Nothing but swaying grass that reached to mid-calf, not high enough to hide a person, or a predator. Sokka sat down and felt immense relief rush through him; he hadn't realized how shaky his legs had been until he sat. They felt like jelly and his heart was beating so fast he was sure it would fly out of his chest. He leaned back n the grass and stared up at the stars and when his eyes met the bright moon, he felt tars push at his eyes.

"Yue…" he mumbled and covered his face with an arm.

_Sokka…_

He shot up into a sitting position. "Who's there?"

The clouds uncovered the full moon and lit up the entire meadow in silvery light. Sokka couldn't believe his eyes, walking towards him was a human figure with long white hair and powdery blue eyes.

"Yue?" He stared. "I-it can't be…no…oh my god, Yue?" He took a few tentative steps forward then stopped.

The silvery white woman smiled at him and nodded.

Sokka's jaw dropped, "B-but…you-you're dead. You can't be here." His voice was shaky and his eyes were still wide in excitement.

_No friggin' way, no way. She can't be alive, I held her….I held her when she was taken to be the moon spirit. There is no way this is her. _

She was about ten feet from him now and stopped. She shook her head and placed her sad eyes on him. "No Sokka, I'm not dead. True, my earthly body is gone but I live on as the Moon Spirit."

_It sounds exactly like her. That voice…._

"How are you here? I mean, if you really are Yue." He folded his arms across his chest to try and look disbelieving but something inside him urged him that it was really her.

Her eyes fell, "I thought this would happen." With a heavy sigh, she reached into her pocket, "I think this is all the proof you'll need." When she drew her hand out, in it was the 'bear' Sokka had carved.

Sokka stared, "That's…I carved that…" Tears rolled down his face and he moved towards her, "It really is…I never imagined…"

She turned the crudely carved bear in her hands and smiled at him. Her eyes lit up and tears fell from her own eyes. The clouds overhead started to move towards the moon again as it started to rain.

Sokka fell to his knees and sobbed, "Yue…This must be a dream…there's no way you'd really be here."

"You still doubt me?" Yue let out a heavy sigh and moved towards him. She bent down and caressed his face. "Am I real enough now?"

Sokka grabbed her hand and held it in his own. "But how? How can you really be here?" He asked, kissing her hand and holding it to his face.

"I'm connected to you Sokka, in your heart. As long as you remember me and love me, I'll never leave you." Her tears dripped onto his upturned face.

"Oh Yue." Sokka grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "I'm never letting you go, never again."

_It can't really be…oh God it's her! It's really her! All this time I've been waiting, hoping that maybe, just maybe I'd see her again. And, her she is, wrapped in my arms. This is too good to be true._

She buried her face in his chest. "I never want to go."

"Then don't." He placed his chin on the top of her head and ran his fingers through her silky hair, just to reassure himself that she was still there. "Never leave me, stay this way forever."

_All this time…I though she'd been gone, but she never really was._

She let out a long series of quiet sobs, her small frame shaky violently. As she cried, the rain came pouring down harder, and harder. "I can't stay with you." Her brilliant blue eyes met his, "I'm sorry."

_But now that I can really see her, I never want her to go. This is all so real, her skin, her hair, her clothes, her voice…everything._

He held her closer, "No! Don't leave me!" The rain ran down his face and he calmed slightly, "I can't live without you anymore."

"But, I won't be gone Sokka. I'll be here." She placed a hand on his chest, directly over his heart.

"That's not enough Yue!" Standing up he finished, "I can't go any longer without you. I want you here, beside me, wherever I go." Their eyes locked, "Forever."

The young princess stood in front of him. "Sokka…" Her eyes pleaded with him and in his heart, a pang of guilt rippled through him. The rain poured even harder and the wind wailed through the trees as they stood there. "You know I can't. If I did, the world would fall into chaos, then where would we be?"

"Then why did you come to me if you can't stay? Why would come here to give me my hope back, only to leave me even more broken than before?" He wiped rain from his eyes, "Do you really love me?"

Thunder ripped across the sky, when Yue let out a small wail. "I love you, Sokka. I swear I do! But you are putting me in an impossible position! I would give anything to be with you, you should know that!" She hiccupped slightly and Sokka wrapped her up in his arms.

"Sh…I'm sorry I yelled, I got frustrated. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He kissed her face with each apology. "Calm down, I know…I understand."

The wind started to die down and the rain became a small sprinkle. The pair stood there drinking up each other's company. Water had soaked them both completely and now they were getting very cold.

Yue broke the embrace, "Sokka. I have to leave now."

"What? Why?"

She pointed at the orange horizon in the distance.

"No…Yue…"

"Close your eyes."

"No, you'll-"

"No I won't, close your eyes."

Sokka looked at her sadly then did so, He felt her lips press against his and her hand on the back of his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer, flattening her body against his. An odd sensation rippled through his body and he could barely feel Yue's body against his. When he tried to pull her closer, nothing happened. Opening his eyes, he saw her being called back the moon. She was literally fading away in his arms.

"No, not yet." He mumbled, eyes wide with fear. "Don't leave yet, I'm not ready."

Yue looked just as surprised, "Sokka, I don't want to. Believe me, I'd do anything to be with you."

"Then do it! Just don't go."

"You know I can't." She looked at him with such sorrow it almost made tears run down his face. He let out a sigh of grief and surrender as he ran his hands through her hair then buried his face in it.

"Fine." He mumbled, releasing her and placing his hands over his eyes. "Go then."

Yue gave him a melancholy glance then lightly walked towards the moon, her figure growing less and less opaque the closer she got to it. Sokka lifted his head and watched her leave with the pain of losing a loved one gripping his heart. She turned and looked at him with tearfilled eyes as she became completely transparent. Sokka jumped up and ran at her fading figure.

"NO!" He screamed, shameless tears pouring down his face. "NO! Yue!" His voice cracked and his throat constricted. "…Don't….don't…." With a leap, he tried to wrap his arms around her silloutte, but his hands met nothing but empty air and he crashed to the ground on his knees. "…don't leave me…I…" He stared up at the sky, "I love you so much."

The rain started to fall again, a warm rain, a soothing rain. It beat lightly on the ground and swept down the warrior's face. A soft breeze blew by and listening intently, he made out the words, I love you. A smile spread across his upturned face and he stood and lifted his arms into the air, letting the rain completely cover him.

Sokka…

"What Yue? I'm right here."

Sokka…

"I'm right here!" He waved his arms at the moon for emphasis. While he did, his hand struck something solid.

'Ouch! Sokka!' this time it was followed by freezing wateron his face.

"WHAT?!!? HOLY CRAP THAT'S COLD!!!" He shot up and looked around. Surrounding him was Katara and Aang. No Yue.

_I knew it was too good to be true. _

"Sokka! We need to leave! A storm is coming and we need to find shelter." Aang explained.

But Sokka was still thinking about his dream. "N'kay" He muttered, standing up hoping Aang would leave. As he left, he began rolling up his sleeping bag and getting all his things gathered up. Thoughts about his dream made tears come to his eyes and he quickly wiped them away, hoping nobody had noticed.

"Sokka?" Came Katara's voice. "Are you alright? You kept screaming about Yue and ho wmuch you loved her." She left her voice trail off. They stood in silence then Sokka turned to his sister. "I know you don't want to hear this from me but…" She took in a deep breath. "She's gone Sokka and you can't bring her back. But even if her earthly body isn't here any longer, her spirit is still with you, carried in your heart." Hse paused and waited for a comment from him. But Sokka just stared at her. "That's the tie that will keep her with you."

Her brother hadn't even blinked. He just stared at her.

Katara looked at him with concern, "I know, I know you probably don't want to talk ab-" She was cut off by a hug from her older brother. He pulled her close to him and let a few tears run down his face.

"Thank you." He said. "Thank you so much, Katara."

_Maybe, that'll happen only in my dreams but at least, I know now she'll always be around. Yue is still with me, she's alive in me. And there's no way I'd let that die._

**Okay, so let me know what you thought of this chapter! It was a lot of fun writing it, I forgot how much I loved to write! ;**

** I did this really quickly, so there may be a few mistakes and there may be some things that need to be changed. If you notice anything, don't hesitate to let me know! **

**Thanks again! .**

**Also, please check out my deviantART account! Copy and Paste this: soras-groupie22. into your address bar and take a look at my profile! If you have an account, leave me a comment or watch me, I promise I'll get back to ya! **

**Peace!**


	16. OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY PLZ READ THIS!

OH MY GOD.

I know you guys totally HATE me. But I saw that I do have some recent reviews on this so I'm going to ty and get it back up and running again. I'm going to revamp this story and post it on my other account. Even though that means losing the awesome reviews I have now. :c

You can comment on each chapter and let me know how much you like the new versions and everything. :)

It's been like five years since the last update, but I promise, if you want to read the end that I'll get it to you this time!

stay tuned for more updates about everything!

Thanks for sticking with me!


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